Social Media helps businesses to create brand awareness, generate leads and close deals at minimum or zero cost.
Social media marketing is evolving. Big businesses have a clearly defined social media strategy, budget and goals.
Small businesses are financially constrained. committing significant percent of their budget to social media marketing is needless to them. Though, it doesn't require an expert to run social media, hiring an expert could help.
The problem is that many small and medium Enterprises(SME) only maintain a social media presence, inform rather than engage, beg people to patronize or like them instead of building relationships.
The problem is lack of clear social media strategy. Huge social media marketing budget without clear strategy could fail while zero social media budget with clear strategy can succeed.
Social media marketing strategy is the rule of engagement aimed at achieving a social media plan.
A social media plan is a summary of everything a business plan to do and achieve using social media(Evans Lepage). The best plan aligned business goals and objectives with marketing goal.
Best Social Media Marketing Strategy should includes:
Engage rather than inform
Social media best practices engage potential customers rather inform. In as much as businesses keep their customers informed about the latest issues affecting the company, the company's official social media page is an engagement page.
The era of sponsored advert to get people to like a business page is gradually fading. The new shift is to locate potential customers, speak their language, identify their passion and engage them and they will like the brand and keep visiting the page daily.
Nigeria indomie instant noodles is one of the companies that has a good social media engagement strategy. Instead of daily boring post begging people to buy or patronize your brand, make additional effort to post inspirational messages, edited picture and video that could make people laugh, and encourage people to post good comment.
Communicate
Communication entails listening and understanding. Dele Carnegie in his book ' how to win and influence people' explained the power of listening. A good listener win friends and influence them for life
Best Social Media Marketing Strategy entails listening. Anonymously hang-out with customers and hear what they have to say about your and brand and competitors. Encourage feedback and do surveys.
Use Video
As brands worldwide realize how to use video for business, the focus has shifted from integrating video to developing visual content that's truly engaging(Helen Nesterenko).
The good thing about video is that it can be easily shared. Facebook and YouTube video publishers have many testimonies.
It is highly recommended that every Small business should include video as part of social media strategy.
Integrate Social media marketing plan with Digital Marketing plan and business goal
Digital media channels include online platform such as social media platform, search engine optimization, mobile devices and offline platform such as SMS, MMS, TV and Radio.
Social media marketing is a figment of Digital Marketing. The best social media strategy aligned with Digital media strategy which is aimed at achieving the business marketing goal.
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