Social media is not a new thing for most internet users in the UK. It is a platform where people connect, converse, and network. With over 52 million adult users in the UK, it is still dumbfounding how little is known of the various elements of social media that can be used for marketing purposes.
Social Media Extrovert, Maria McGowan, did an article about social media suggesting that it could be an overwhelming resource for most businesses due to the fact the social media is evolving continually. However, leveraging social media has proven to be a useful avenue for marketing and attracting customers. So significant is the impact of this platform to the point where 78% of companies are investing in having a full-time team dedicated to social media marketing and optimisation.
What Is Social Media Marketing?
It is marketing the focuses on the use of the influential power behind social media platforms to come up with an effective strategy that is aligned with a business’ goals. It is possible to come with a social media marketing campaign that is simple and see significant returns, but there are times when digging deeper into what needs to be done will prove more useful.
The strategies used in planning a social media campaign differ across the different platforms because of the ever-changing focus and measurability. The best results are often seen when the planning focuses on a singular objective based on common goals that range from launching a new service or product, sales promotion efforts, increasing web traffic, promoting the company’s milestone and getting feedback from the target users.
What Are the Benefits Such a Marketing Campaign?
Social media marketing campaigns are designed for advertising and promotional purposes, with the primary goal of increasing brand awareness that translates into more sales. The strategy behind their effectiveness is based on enhanced engagement with social media users. The correct implementation of the marketing plans can have a significant impact on search engine optimisation thereby improving website rankings.
In terms of cost, social media marketing campaigns are an affordable avenue for improving a business’ online presence. For starters, signing up on most of the social media platforms is free, and the same applies to the content you post on them. If you are looking into avenues of advertising your products or services at zero costs, then social media is the place to do just that. And even those that you may have to pay to advertise will be relatively a low-cost prospect compared to other online marketing options.
Now that you know what social media marketing campaign is and its benefits, below are tips by MMedia, social media specialists, on how you can organise one:
1. Campaign Goals
You should set a primary goal for the campaign. It could be to highlight business, to increase social media followers, to enhance your website’s online awareness, or to generate more online engagement. You should have your sights set on what you want to achieve with the campaign before you start. Ensure that your objective fits with your overall social media strategy.
2. Approach and Content
Aside from setting goals for the campaign, you also need to have an idea of the kind of approach you will use for its implementation. For instance, you need to clear about the content material you will use for marketing and advertising your products or services. It could be in the form of an article, video, blog or vlog. Also, put in some effort to add some value-adding element that will aid in grabbing the target users’ attention. You can do this by offering freebies, running a competition, or giving discounts.
3. Social Media Platforms
Evaluate the many social media platforms out there to decide which ones will be most useful in your social media marketing campaign. In as much as you may be using some of the platforms for your personal use or your business, do they reflect your target audience, and if they do not, then what can you do to turn things around to include them in your campaign?
4. Engagement
Once your marketing campaign is up and running on social media, and you have shared different content, you then should be amply prepared to engage with your audience, actively. Avoid posting materials and posting it and assume all will be well as you let things run their course. By actively engaging with the participants you are improving the effectiveness of your social media campaign. It also is an excellent way of validating your presence on social media as you build and solidify your relationship with your consumers.
5. Evaluation
Take the time to evaluate your campaign from time to time, more so when you are starting a new one. Review the previous campaign to see what worked, what didn’t, and reasons for such outcomes. Your social media marketing campaign will evolve with time, and you put in the time and effort. Therefore, you should be aware of the positives and negatives of your inputs. Did the campaign reflect your social media marketing plan? Did you manage to attract a new audience or uncover new information? Go over every little outcome to ascertain that the campaign met its goal.