Did you know that 74% of shoppers will make their buying decisions based on social media? It seems like a high number, but with social media being such an integral part of our society now, it’s not exactly surprising.
What baffles us is the number of businesses that still aren’t sure if social media marketing is worth it. If it’s worth the investment, the time it takes, or the hassle of managing it all. Or if it would actually work for them at all. This is something we hear a lot, and frankly, we’d like to address it. Because the fact is if you approach it properly, social media marketing can work for pretty much any business in any sector. The key is understanding your platform, your audience and what you need to do to succeed. In other words – you need a strategy. So, to help you work out whether social media marketing is worth it, let’s look at some of the things you should consider.
The Network
Choosing the right network is key to making your social media marketing successful. If you choose the wrong platform just because ‘it’s the biggest’, then you may struggle to see a return. For example, a mortician probably doesn’t belong on Instagram, since it’s a very visual platform – but they might do well on Facebook where they can share information and articles with people who may experience or be experiencing a loss. Before choosing a network to try social media marketing on, you need to take a look at them all and work out:
· Is it relevant to/ appropriate for my business?
· Do my customers hang out here?
· Does it have a good audience?
Knowing this information will help you choose the best platform for you, which means you are more likely to get success out of it.
The Extra Reach With Advertising
One of the areas a lot of businesses miss when it comes to social media marketing is the extra advertising it allows you to do. Too many people assume that social media is very ‘woolly’ just because it has the word social in it, and you can’t do any ‘serious’ marketing with it. But they couldn’t be more wrong. Most social media platforms have a sophisticated set of advertising tools built in, allowing you to create full and targeted advertising campaigns within a few simple clicks. These campaigns allow you to choose your audience, your content and even your timings, as well as provide you with a wide range of tracking and analytics to make sure your ads are performing properly. Social media is all business when it comes to advertising, and when you take advantage of it you could reach a whole new audience with your content – one that never would have found you before.
The Strategy
So why do so many people think that social media won’t work for them? Or more importantly, why do they give up when they don’t see the results they want? Simple – they are missing the most important part of social media marketing – the strategy. Having a strategy for your social media means you will be making the right decisions, posting the right kind of content and targeting the right audience – making your money. Not to mention that neglecting to develop a strategy gives more opportunities to your competitors since buyers are more likely to purchase as a result of social media. Having a good strategy in place is often the difference between success and failure on social media – not just because it defines what success is for you, but because it also helps you plan out the steps you need to get there.
Small businesses evolve quickly, and part of the reason so many survive is their agility. Your target audience today may only be a fraction of the audience who buys from you tomorrow, which is why you need a strong strategy in place. Social media is a fast-moving world, but if you can keep up with it, it can bring some truly great returns. At Moyralla Marketing, we help businesses of all shapes and sizes make the most of their social media presence with bespoke support, training and done-for-you options. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with us today to get the ball rolling.
