How to Use Social Media in Your Business Strategies
Check the slides with the essentials.
The pandemic forced a lot of people to stay at home, and in doing so, social media use increased exponentially. According to Statista.com, 42% of adults in the US were interacting online during the height of the pandemic. This number has remained steady as regulations have loosened. This is good news for your business, however, as you can target how and where you interact with potential customers. Within various social media platforms and online, you can find communities in which users rely on each other.
One’s platform of choice varies from person to person. What they do within those platforms is easier to graph, though, as there are reasons users join specific communities or groups. As a business owner, if you know why users are joining specific platforms or communities, you can also learn how to promote your business within those venues. This will allow you to target which communities and platforms will benefit your brand the most and explore how to gain exposure for your brand.
Social media is a valuable tool if you use it wisely. This article will introduce you to the various communities on social media and online, as well as provide tips for marketing to those communities. With this knowledge, you can use social media effectively to increase your brand’s profitability.
Communities of Choice
Interest-Based Communities
The communities of interest are just that, a community of people interested in the same thing. That could be a neighborhood community such as Nextdoor.com or a community of like-minded individuals such as Chess.com or Facebook Groups and Facebook communities.
Marketing within these communities is relatively straightforward. If you own an alarm company, you are much more likely to market within a site like Nextdoor than you are a site for guitar players.
Task-Based Community
Communities of task can be crucial to your business as users participating in these communities are interested in completing a specific task, such as changing a tire or sanding their wooden floors. This is the perfect place to bring attention to your brand and how you might benefit the consumer.
You can search questions you have and find these communities, although you may not recognize the site as a community at first. It’s only after reading some posts that you will understand the nature of the site.
Vacation Based Communities
These communities can be particular. Social workers will belong to a site dedicated to social work and the issues surrounding that career, while plumbers will use an altogether different site.
More general sites fall under this category, though. Take, for instance, LinkedIn. It is a community of various vocations united under a common networking theme.
Support Community
You can find these communities across all platforms. They exist to answer questions about certain subjects and support users. One example of this might be an online support group for cancer survivors. It is meant to be a private, albeit public, space for survivors to bond and provide hope to one another.
This is another community to be mindful of branding, as you do not want your advice or suggestions to appear flippant to the issues survivors face. You want your interactions within a group like this to be just as supportive and sensitive as any other user to the topic.
News/Media Community
This is similar to the community of interest, but it is typically on a broader scale. Rather than one neighborhood or town, it is regional in its scope. These communities exist to inform.
Your business is most likely already reaching these communities if you advertise on television or in local papers.
Now that you understand why users are joining certain groups, it might be a good idea to look at where those communities are meeting. With so many social media platforms to choose from, it makes sense that certain types of users will gravitate to specific sites. You can use this information to create a marketing plan.
Marketing on a Broader Scope
Let’s say your brand speaks to various people across all communities. In that case, you might want a broader way to introduce and market your brand. Taking this strategy allows you to reach a more significant number of people, knowing that not all of them will be interested in what you offer.
In order to optimize your marketing, you must understand the social media platforms trending today. A business plan that focuses on Myspace is probably not the best plan. You also might not want to market on TikTok or YouTube if you have yet to develop video advertising for your brand.
When considering your market plan, it is essential to understand who your target market is. You should also have some knowledge of social media statistics/algorithms and focus on your brand’s goals. Once you have assessed these three things, you will better understand which social media site is best for you.
Audio Platforms
These include Spotify (podcasts) and Twitter Spaces, just to name a few. One significant advantage of these platforms is that those using them are there because they want to be. They are not simply scrolling and waiting for something to catch their eye. You can record interviews and verbal presentations on these platforms and host interactive discussions with potential customers.
Video Platforms
People usually think of TikTok or YouTube when they think of video platforms. If you are a business owner unfamiliar with video formats, this might not be the first platform you consider. It is worth researching, though, as TikTok is the third-largest social media platform, with 755 million users in 2022. YouTube has 2.6 billion users. As you can see, figuring out some video editing for your brand will be worthwhile when you understand how many people you can reach.
Discussion Platforms
If you’re looking for interaction, this might be your platform. These platforms, like Reddit or Quora, exist to answer life’s many questions. You can simply increase customer satisfaction and engagement by answering questions about your brand. It is essential to pay attention to the policy and rules for each site. In some groups, they don’t appreciate name-dropping, and your business can look negative. But you can drop a link to the information you provide. It’s best to use this platform to inform and present factual information.
Social Shopping Platforms
You might not realize it, but there are quite a few social media sites that provide links for users to shop. These include Instagram, Pinterest, and Shopify. You will also find that places like TikTok offer links to shopping as well.
Closed or Private Social Media Sites
These include Discourse, Slack, and Facebook. These sites use the communities mentioned above more than the other listed platforms. As a business owner, you can have your own private groups to market your brand and answer questions. Private groups allow you to set your own rules, approve posts, and steer your marketing where it needs to be.
On Facebook, you can require users to answer questions that provide you with valuable information you can use in other marketing strategies. For instance, asking for an email allows you to send sale announcements or coupon codes. Asking why they joined the group will help you target your posts.
Inspirational Social Media Platforms
These sites are exactly what they sound like. Looking for ways to revamp your bathroom? Head to Pinterest. Need to know how to hand-knit? Watch a video on YouTube. You can see how these platforms will help market your business.
How Can Social Media Help Your Business?
Now that you know where uses are congregating and what platforms are trendy, it’s time to talk about how social media can actually help your business.
Build Brand Awareness
As a business owner, you know the best way to get your brand out there is to have people see it. One way to do that is to post on social media. The more your brand is seen, the more people will talk about it and want to know more about it. Platforms like Kidazzler can help.
Generate & Nurture Leads
You can offer giveaways, offer a referral program, and offer coupons to generate your leads. In nurturing, you can simply answer questions and interact with your followers.
Put on Your Listening Ears
Listening is key. You will not be in business long if you’re not listening to current and potential customers.
Grow Connections Through Networking
You can cross-market brands with other businesses to help them generate leads as well. This allows you to network while also growing your customer base. Networking can be especially helpful if you are nervous about a particular platform. Connecting with a pro on YouTube will help you grow your business there and get more comfortable with video-based marketing.
Conclusion
Whether you’re just starting your business or you’re looking for new marketing options, there are so many platforms you can use. A variety of options can be a plus and a negative, though. Focusing on all the platforms can get overwhelming and spread your marketing budget too thin.
Understanding which platforms are best for you is more important before building your marketing plan.
