When you consider that over 75% of adults use social media, it automatically makes sense why social media advertising should be a top priority in your business marketing campaigns. Not only are businesses able to open up new markets, but they are also able to build brand awareness and ultimately boost sales.
For businesses that are just starting with social media advertising, it can seem a bit daunting. However, the truth is that using social is very simple. Let’s find out how to use social media advertising to boost business success.
1. Creating a plan
With how simple it is to send advertisements through social media, any entrepreneur might get tempted to send these at random. However, it is always important to have a set plan and an end goal.
A goal allows you to know exactly what you are aiming to achieve. Without it, you will not be able to measure the results and identify whether your actions are producing favorable outcomes. Therefore, before you can start developing your advert, start with a clear goal and a plan on how you will achieve those goals.
2. Decide on a social media platform
Secondly, it is important to identify and decide on the right platform. You can do this by understanding your target demographic. For instance, if you are planning on selling to millennials, the natural thing to do would be to use Snapchat or Instagram. Also, up to 84% of millennials are on Facebook which means that it is also crucial to know how to advertise on Facebook.
3. Understand your audience
By using tools such as social media analytics, businesses can identify the customers that they interact with and those that buy their products online. They can then use this information to compile data about the target audience. This allows a business to create social media marketing campaigns that are specific to them.
One of the main benefits of this is that customers receive personalized messages. They feel like individuals as opposed to receiving generalized messages or advertisements. This significantly increases the chances of a lead turning into a regular customer.
4. Growing your audience
Having found the target audience, it is now time to find out how the business can increase its reach by targeting even more customers online. For example, if a business has been selling to customers from a certain geographical location and they are now looking to expand, they can identify an audience with similar characteristics in the new location and send marketing campaigns to them as well.
Most social media platforms have a geo search feature that allows you to find potential customers from a certain location or area. This is a useful feature to help grow the business to the next level.
5. Develop and build good relationships
One of the main strong points of using social media is that businesses can communicate with potential customers and build healthy relationships before marketing a product to the customers. In fact, up to 40% of online shoppers will use social media as a platform for finding the right information on the product they are looking for.
This provides businesses with an excellent opportunity to grow their brand. People that engage with the business products or content should also receive communication from the business. This is a great way to build trust and create leads.
6. Use visuals
One of the main characteristics of social media is the use of images, videos and other forms of visuals such as infographics. In fact, social media users have come to accept this as a normal and expected part of messages.
It is therefore highly crucial that the business incorporates the use of compelling visuals to grab the interest of potential customers.
Content needs to be eye-catching to grab the users’ attention and prompt them to read your message. Otherwise, the user will more likely continue scrolling.
7. Offer quality products
There are many different social media channels that businesses can use to market their products. In fact, they are so numerous that it can be overwhelming. Some businesses are even tempted to focus their attention on moving as many products as possible through the various channels, that they compromise on quality.
However, a business is much better off using just a few channels and offering not only quality information but also quality products. Avoid focusing on pitching and selling and instead concentrate on building good relationships with potential customers online. Having built trust, it will be easier to convert your audience into willing customers.
8. Monitor conversations and respond promptly
One of the benefits of social media is that it allows for social listening. We have mentioned that it is crucial to communicate with people who are already engaging with the business’ content. However, there is more to this. Businesses should monitor conversations that are going on elsewhere about them and engage such communications.
This is called social listening. It is important because it allows businesses to identify what potential customers want and to act accordingly.
9. Track your performance
A business must monitor the results of its social media advertising campaign. This will help it identify the strategies that work as well as those that do not. With this data, the business can further develop the working strategies and get rid of those that do not produce results.
Moreover, using methods such as A/B testing, the business can develop even better strategies for the future and help it get in more sales and move it to the next level.
Final thoughts
Social media is a great tool to reach potential customers, build brand awareness and boost sales. The great thing about it is that businesses of all sizes can make use of social media advertising. Keep in mind that while there are many channels, you will just need to focus on a few social media platforms to reap some great benefits.
