Don’t like reading? Listen to the audio instead:
If you listened to the audio, you may want to Click Here.
Otherwise, read on:
At times it is interesting to see how people use buzzwords which they have no grasp of. Words like “social media marketing” and “just use AI”…
The sad reality is that there is so much misinformation out there that many small business owners, when confronted with the truth, refuse to believe it.
In their minds, social media marketing is easy, and anyone can rake in the traffic from any social media platform, just by putting out their first few posts.
Yet, when you look at social networks, there is an astronomical number of small business profiles and -pages which have either been abandoned, or which are posted to very infrequently, with almost no following or engagement.
If it is that easy to do social media marketing, why did they give up? In many cases their content is good, so what went wrong?
How to command attention on social media:
1. Pick the right social network.
Many business owners get this one wrong. Marketing is about going where your audience hangs out, and positioning yourself in their way.
Look at the demographics of your ideal customer profile, and see which social network or networks they are most likely to be hanging out on.
For instance, if your target market is an affluent young career person, you would probably be best off on Pinterest or LinkedIn, depending on what you offer.
If you are selling anti-aging supplements, Facebook might be a better bet. If you are selling tech gadgets, you may want to look at Mastodon.
In addition to that, the more competition there is – for your industry – on any specific platform, the more work it will take to be heard in a sea of voices.
Go where you can see yourself rising above the noise without having to wait forever to be able to do it. At times, that might mean it would be better to start on a smaller, “emerging” social network. Fair enough, the audience will be a lot smaller, but in most cases, so will the competition.
In online marketing, we refer to it as “picking low hanging fruit”.
At the same time, however, use the same content in order to slowly build your following on a bigger platform. The results from your efforts on a smaller social network can pay the bills until you are able to command attention on a mainstream social network.
2. Understand what your target audience wants.
If you don’t understand what matters to your target audience, why would they take any notice of you? If you don’t understand what is really important to the people you want to deal with, you can expect to be ignored.
Go digging around on different platforms to see what questions people are asking. Search for posts and groups on social networks, look at forums, and explore question sites like Quora.
Ascertain not only what your ideal customer is struggling with, but also whether there are any emotional connotations attached to specific issues and questions.
Emotions, when used properly, make for great hooks in content and even in advertisements.
3. Be consistent in your execution.
There are three reasons for being consistent when marketing on social media:
a. Consistency means that you are consistently adding to the volume of content you have out there. The more content you have out there, the more likely you are to be seen as an authority for your niche.
b. The more consistently you post and engage, the more you will be noticed, and the more people will come to expect – and become used to – your presence in the platform’s conversations.
c. Almost all social networks reward activity on the platform with increased exposure. However, algorithms have become smart enough to not only note the number of actions you take, but also which types of actions you engage in.
For instance, on Instagram, the more functions or formats you use, the more exposure you get – on top of the credit you receive for merely posting, giving likes and commenting.
In conclusion:
Picking the right platform for your social media marketing will determine how easy it will be to stand out. You don’t need to be the biggest and the best on the platform, but you need to be seen – and taken note of – by enough people to bring you customers.
Understanding your customers or clients will prevent you from posting loads of content, only to be ignored.
Being consistent will not only grow your exposure and your following, but it will also paint you as being predictable and reliable – which is exactly what you want when building a brand.
Combine these three with decent content, and you will command attention. Maybe not right from day one, but sooner than you would expect.
Instead of paying thousands of dollars every month for inbound marketing, you may want to consider this more practical proposal. Simply follow the link below this audio to find out more.