Connecting Through Social Media
Social media marketing, or SMM, is internet marketing that applies various social media networks (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and more) in order to achieve marketing communication and branding goals. Social Media marketing primarily covers activities involving social sharing of content, videos and images for marketing purposes, as well as paid social media ads. Social media serves as a relatively inexpensive platform for organizations to implement marketing campaigns.
Begin by developing a strategy:
- What are you hoping to achieve through social media marketing?
- Who is your target audience?
- Where would your target audience hang out and how would they use social media?
- What message do you want to send to your audience with social media marketing?
Without a strategy, you will be wandering through the dark. Once you have a plan in place, you must establish your goals. Social Media can help with a number of goals, such as:
- Increase web site traffic
- Build conversions
- Raise brand awareness
- Create a brand identity and positive brand association
- Improve communication and interaction with target audiences
Only by establishing you goals can you measure you social media success. With a strong presence in relevant social media networks, companies can take advantage of two-way communication channels. This allows for valuable consumer insights and ideas that can be utilized to compliment service offerings, refine and deliver new products, and attract new loyal customers.