SOCIAL MEDIA BRANDS FOR YOUR BUSINESS IN 2022
Social Media, broadly, is a conversation space for individuals, businesses, and organizations to share ideas and performances.
There are choices for your business when it comes to interacting with customers. Each platform is approached differently; read about the top social platforms and their benefits for your business.
Businesses wanting to use this powerful digital channel will obviously have different questions than consumers wanting to catch up with Aunt Patricia. This is why we aim to answer the needs of users of social media for small business.
In this article, we cover each platform on these topics:
- Where Users are (numbers and demographics)
- What each offers its users
- What each offers your business
Where are my customers?
Not surprisingly, the material that interests teenagers is different from that of a retiree. By looking at the data, you can see where and when the people in your target market are spending their time online.
But engaging your customers takes more than being on the same channels. You have to create content that engages and then get it in front of viewers. Rarely are viewers seeking your posts. It needs to be shown or ‘served’ to them. Content is king for businesses and organizations. With very little time in front of your customers, you need to make it count.
In order for remarketing (serving content to customers who showed engagement) to be effective, you need more than a smile from your viewers. You need engagement: clicking, sharing, commenting, and viewing are all ways that users engage with your content. This engagement allows you to add a little bit of data to that user’s online profile that will allow you to serve them ads on that platform and others.
What are people doing on social media?
There are dozens of social media channels that serve as many purposes. Broadly, they are geared toward:
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Activism
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Performance art
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Crafts and decor
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Learning
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Memory-book making
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Networking
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Messaging
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News and information
Businesses use social media differently than users, but here’s how users are interacting with social media:
For users, Facebook has evolved from being a memory book to share and look back upon. It is now a source of news, a seller’s marketplace, a forum for groups and events, a place to seek recommendations, live-stream, scour podcasts, and interact with other gamers.
Instagram is a photo and video sharing platform where users can quickly see updates from acquaintances or celebrities and brands they follow.
Twitter is popular as a largely text-based, real-time update platform. Users check in on their favorite brands, celebrities, and news channels for breaking news. With character-length limits, Twitter is easily digestible with the ability to link to more in-depth content.
Home of the pinboard, Pinterest allows users a home for a collection of clever ideas they have been inspired by from the platform and web beyond. Many buy from Pinterest as a boutique for unique, handmade crafts and art they can find nowhere else.
Known as the place for professional networking, LinkedIn allows users to learn about colleagues, companies, job opportunities, and discuss current events from academic and economic viewpoints.
YouTube
YouTube has long been a go-to for informational videos including product reviews, restaurant promotions, or how-to videos. It is a source of syndicated television and movie clips, user-generated content, and live-streams of events.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a messaging app for sending vanishing messages between users. One attractive feature is the augmented reality games and video filters. Users can alter their appearance and voices and share. These are often sponsored or created by brands.
TikTok
TikTok provides a short-form video platform for users to create, share, and view others. Usually entertaining, videos are explored and consumed for fun. Users find new creators or follow friends.
What can social media do for your business?
Content is King, and producing content that encourages a conversation or interaction is the key to using social media for your business. Each platform has the ability to both advertise and produce content for free, interacting with users as your official brand. But organizations looking for the next level of engagement will look for ways to not only be seen but to re-engage users.
In order to re-engage users effectively, your brand will need to invest in advertising on these platforms. Broadly speaking, the options allow your content to be served to users that resemble your customers. By finding or building lookalike audiences, you will have a greater chance of being seen by those most likely to buy your product or take the action you want.
An important aspect of business posting on social media is having a goal in mind. Good marketing is based on data and a scientific approach to testing variables and honing messaging to be most effective. Businesses need to know what their purpose is. The method and messaging vary by platform but the goals need to be clear from the outset.
What can my business do with social media?
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Grow brand awareness
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Expand your ‘reach’
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Increase traffic
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Solicit more engagement
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Have users install your app
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Increase video viewership
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Generate more leads
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Receive feedback or messages
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Convert leads with a call-to-action
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Make sales from your e-commerce catalog
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Get more traffic to your physical location
Remember, social media is about starting conversations. Because it’s designed to be more than one-way communication, focus your efforts on showing the other side of your business, service, or products. Show users what customers enjoy about your brand and how it fits into their lifestyle. It’s not just about product specifications but benefits and satisfaction. Show your customers and your competition what your business does for society. Promote your philanthropy and environmental and corporate responsibility.
Social Media advertising takes discipline and commitment. Many organizations find it difficult to manage both daily operations and an online presence. Marketing companies can work with you to establish automated processes, develop content, and then parse the data to determine what the next steps are.
If you have never worked with a marketing agency in this capacity, you will be amazed at how effective the experts who deal with the nuances of social media can be. The best part is: no matter how many sales you can directly attribute to a social media campaign, you will absolutely gain a wealth of knowledge about your consumers and contacts you can incorporate into other marketing efforts.