Building a Successful Social Media Marketing Strategy

By: Marygrace McLaughlin

Today, consumers are engaged with social media an average of two hours and 24 minutes per day*, so it only makes sense for businesses to engage with their customers on the same platforms they’re scrolling through daily. What are the business benefits of using platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to connect with the 4.2 billion social media users worldwide?
 

Here are just a few:
 
1.Spread brand awareness and increase sales.
One of the newest social media strategies businesses use to increase brand awareness is investing in a sponsorship from a social media influencer, which is a person who typically has a large following on a platform (most commonly Instagram) and uses their page to “influence” their followers. Typically, businesses will send their products to an influencer for free or create paid partnerships to market their product to the influencer’s followers.
 
2.Humanize your brand.
Now more than ever, consumers are turning away from large corporate entities in favor of small, local businesses that embrace the human element of their work. As buyers, we’re showing more interest in a company’s culture and mission over things like lower prices and faster turnaround times. A great way to humanize your brand is through social media posts. These platforms are ideal for sharing stories about your business, such as how it was started or what the behind-the-scenes operations look like.
 
3.Drive customers to your website.
When an influencer posts about a product and tags the company, their followers are more inclined to check out that company's page and products. If they like what they see, they’re likely to click through to the company’s website and perhaps even purchase a product. By presenting your company in an appealing way on social media, prospects who may have never heard of your company before may begin to familiarize themselves with your business and get one step closer to becoming a paying customer.
 
4.Gain customer feedback and promotion.
Social media presents countless opportunities to interact with customers and gather their feedback. Often, customers will post a new product they just purchased and tag the company in their post. This is a great way to retrieve valuable information about what people are saying about your products. Whether it’s a good or bad review on a product, this data is very beneficial for a business to consider. If it’s a negative review, it also gives the business an opportunity to save future sales by contacting the unhappy customer and giving them a discount or special offer on their next purchase. A customer will often feel more attached to a brand and be more likely to continue to do business with them if the company reaches out to that customer through social media.
 
If you’re looking to expand your brand awareness and aren’t currently marketing on any social media platforms, consider starting with just one platform so you don’t get overwhelmed. Build a business profile and maybe team up with one influencer to promote your brand. Social media will continue to grow and it’s important to be where your customers are. Need assistance? We’re always here to help! Reach out to your ASI account executive to get some tips for increasing brand awareness.
 
*Source: “How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media in 2021?” G., Deyan. July 6, 2021. Techjury.com.
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