The marketing stratosphere has changed dramatically since the rise in usage of the internet and social media. Marketing is no longer about TV ads, flyers, brochures or radio. The complex, extremely popular world of the internet has meant that businesses now need to focus primarily on appealing to customers through online marketing techniques such as email marketing, lead generation and of course, social media management.
Social media management has become an increasingly significant online marketing tool used by millions of businesses to raise brand awareness, promote products or services and drive online sales.
Listed below are some of the top social media rules that you and your business should stick to in order to enhance brand awareness and boost revenues:
1. Use at least two social media platforms (if not more)
The most popular platforms are Twitter, Facebook & Instagram but contenders such as Snapchat and Periscope have become increasingly popular in recent times & are most millennials can be found here.
2. Social media works around-the-clock on a 24/7 basis – it never sleeps
Fortunately, most platforms enable you to schedule upcoming posts in order to attract your audience at the right times. Use this tool to your advantage by scheduling everything well in advance.
3. Not everything related to social media management works
It can take a great deal of time and effort to build up your following and establish yourself as an industry leader. It's important to test different approaches to see what works best for your brand: A lot of what you do on social media is about trial & error.
4. Update your page frequently or delete it
People don't want to follow a lifeless page that exists purely for the sake of it. So if you've got a Twitter account that you've not updated in weeks, either get rid of it or use this guide for our top tips on how to create the most interesting Twitter account imaginable.
5. Mobile marketing is the only way
Ensure you use a mobile app to attract more followers. Almost all internet users are now browsing from a mobile device so get your website fully optimised - or run the risk of losing out on potential customers.
6. Always write back
It can be tempting to focus other areas of your social media marketing, but not responding to feedback on your social pages is bad news for your brand, so be sure to respond, even if it's just with a "Thank You".
7. Optimise content with SEO
Or hire an SEO firm to do the hard work for you.
8. Social media and traditional media can work symbiotically
Social media does not work in isolation, so be sure to combine it with other techniques for the ultimate marketing method.
9. Focus on high-quality content that appeals to the right audience
Creating killer content that's directly targeted at your precise target market will seriously help you to increase engagement & promote your content.
10. Embrace negative content about your brand
It can be tempting to get angry about anything negative related to your brand, but when you're quick to respond in a careful and articulate manner, you can quickly turn the situation into a positive one.
11. It is okay to drive people to your site instead of driving them to Facebook
At the end of the day, as a brand you prefer people to visit your website as opposed to your Facebook page, so there's no harm in encouraging traffic directly to your site.
12. Your fans own your brand
Your fans have the power to spread the word about your brand to their own followers by Liking, Commenting on and sharing your content. For most brands, friends of fans represent a huge proportion of the Facebook universe. As such, you need to make a good impression on your followers in order to make a good impresison on your followers' friends.
13. Pinterest is an effective social media tool that is very influential
Traditionally, the platform was known for attracting a female-dominated user base, however statistics now show us that one-third of Pinterest sign ups now come from men - a statistic you definitely can't ignore.
14. Don’t use advertisements to support boring content
It can be tempting to pay for every post to improve your Facebook reach, but you should only use advertisements to accelerate successful content.
15. Avoid contests and sweepstakes where possible
Contests and sweepstakes do have their advantages, but they also encourage short-term relationships which is not something you want to be focusing on.
16. Social media management is about generating relationships with your users
By generating relationships with your audience via social media, those individuals will form a bond with your brand, and are therefore much more likely to use your products or services in future.
17. Social media is solely about your audience
Whether it's viewers, fans, users, followers or consumers, it's ALL about them.
18. Educate, inform and solve problems by appealing to the heart
Inspire, challenge and entertain by appealing to the mind
19. Focus on high-quality content marketing that encourages groups to form
Social media is all about just that - being social, so create content that brings people together and encourages conversations to get going. Take a look at the comments section on the 'Humans of New York' Facebook page & you will see exactly what I mean!
20. Your overall priority as a business is to focus on your clients
Modern marketing is all about delivering the ultimate user experience - this is what drives real results. So if your marketing efforts are not focused on the precise needs of your audience, you need to make some important changes, fast.
There are countless easy ways to use social media but by following these top 20 rules you will be better able to successfully promote your brand and increase online and offline sales!
Still not convinced?
If you're seeking out a professional branding & marketing agency to do all the hard work for you, you're in the right place. Contact a member of our team today to discover how we can help you to craft a powerful social media strategy.
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