There’s no question that social media is quite possibly the most influential form of short media in the world today. Businesses, celebrities, and influencers alike have garnered massive public attention from even the simplest and shortest posts, and have thus increased their fame by leaps and bounds. The more traditional methods of taking out an ad in the local newspaper, going on the radio, or doing a quick commercial are fading fast due to social media making advertising more accessible to smaller businesses.
In truth, the only real hurdle for most small businesses is garnering that initial attention from the public in the first place. Here are a few questions business entities should ask themselves before getting started in a social media marketing campaign that will allow them to beat the algorithms and get noticed on a global scale:
1. What is the overall business brand?
A business’ brand defines who they are to the public especially on social media. Therefore, the brand needs to have a consistent look and message in order to be recognizable instantly to whoever sees the post. If the brand is not yet fully determined, then this needs to be first on the list of items to be accomplished before attempting a social media marketing campaign.
2. What type of product or service is being marketed, and what is the target market for that product or service?
If a business is wanting to market a specific product or service to the public, that business will need to determine the target market for what they are selling (business 101, but still important!). A nonfiction author marketing their new book on finance is going to target their book on people who read Forbes or the Economist or watch the stock and crypto markets. A painter will showcase a new painting in various art forums and pages on social media to garner the attention they seek. The examples go on and on, but the principles apply regardless.
3. What angle is the business going for with social media marketing?
The posts themselves must reflect the angle the company is going for in the social media marketing campaign. Is the company going for a political cause? Perhaps a religious cause? Or is the business addressing concerns from their target market? Determining the angle of a social media marketing campaign also determines the size and/or platform used, whether it be a quick video, an ad or series of ads, or a blog post with links.
4. Which forms of social media posts would best help marketing that product or service through that angle determined above?
As we all know, there is a multitude of platforms available for a solid social media marketing campaign. Depending on the answers to the questions listed above, a company may find certain platforms more viable than others. If a few ads and short videos create enough of a buzz, then that may be all a business needs for this campaign. On the other hand, if a product or service requires longer platforms to reach the population and answer questions that may crop up from the target market, then obviously those platforms may be of greater use to that business.
The point is social media is a powerful and highly customizable tool that can help a lot of businesses achieve the growth they are looking for provided that those businesses know what they want out of the campaign. The questions listed above only scratch the surface, and all businesses should look at every angle possible to determine which platforms are best for them and their consumer base. If you’d like to know more about how to get started in forming a solid social media campaign that is going to ensure growth in your company, contact us today. We’d be happy to help.