The vast majority of articles I have read recently regarding small business marketing revolve around Social Media. And when I discuss Social Media with clients they always ask: “Is it important?” “Should I do it?” “How do I know if it is working?” “Where do I even start?” So today I wanted to take some time talk about the basics of social media marketing and why it isn’t all too different from the more traditional styles of marketing.
“Where do I start?”
In an article titled, “Don’t Be a Social Media Marketing Skeptic — Learn Where and How to Start,” published early this year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on their community blog, they reported that “knowing where to start is perhaps the number one obstacle holding many business owners back.” This is a very understandable problem as for many small business owners who may not be at the forefront of technology adoption, social media now seems like mountain impossible to climb. Yet with some forethought and dedication getting involved should not cause you too much stress.
Forethought: Get to Know Your Social Media Audience
You would never purchase ad space in a magazine that you knew none of your potential customers would read would you? If you owned a BBQ joint, would you have any business taking up a full page ad in Vegetarian Times? Of course you wouldn’t. The same goes with social media. You need to first understand who exactly your customers are and what are their needs and interests and use that to strategically reach them. This of course become a lot easier with a product like Wavespot. When customers visit your location and like your facebook page, you are able to see what they are interested in or what other pages they may have liked. Once you have a good understanding of what the general interests of your customers are that also happen to be relevant to your brand you can focus on the next step, content.
Dedication: Content is King
This is a phrase that is constantly thrown around in social media marketing and for good reason too. People gravitate towards interesting material they see online and if that material happens to come from your brand, they will gravitate towards that as well. This is obviously easier said than done, but thats why I said it requires a level of dedication. By using your social media platforms as a portal to interact with your customers on topics they find interesting, you are enforcing the fact that you care about their needs and think and agree with them on many levels. This is very important as this will help you build a loyal fanbase who will do work themselves to promote your brand for you by talking about you, sharing your content and generally having your brand on their minds.
Social Media marketing is not rocket science, but that doesn’t mean it is easy either. By starting with an end goal, you can strategically map your way back to where you are now. And once you have a plan, you are already halfway there.
