In the past few months I’ve learnt a lot about the importance of having sound marketing strategies for small and growing businesses. One powerful tool that often goes underutilized by many companies especially in the less ‘glamorous’ industries is social media. It’s however important to note that social media, when used the right way, can lead to a great increase in Website Traffic that can in turn increase revenue streams.
Here are a few tips to have in mind so as to effectively use this powerful marketing channel:
1. The Website: Your company needs to have one. This may seem as a no brainer but I for one have on multiple occasions disqualified the legitimacy of an organization purely off of the state of their websites. Make sure you put in the adequate time to ensure that your website is a proper representation of your company’s image. Fortunately, it’s now possible to find very inexpensive website developers.
2. Social Networks: I’m talking about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs etc. These platforms can be very helpful when reaching out to potential customers and getting your company’s name out there, for FREE. It’s very helpful as it adds a personal touch to the face of the company. It’s important to post articles on your websites first before linking them on the other social media pages, as this strengthens the SEO of the webpage.
3. Target market and Positioning: Make sure you research who your target groups and ensure that you are utilizing platforms that will reach those groups. After understanding your potential customers, it is another task to figure out search patterns and online behavior. Use this knowledge then to reach out to your target market accordingly.
4. Distributing Content: Finally, it’s important to manage your pages as its worse to create one and let it go unattended than not to have one at all. There are various channels such as HootSuite that can help with the scheduling of posts in advance for regular activity. Whether this may be daily or weekly depends on how much valuable content you have to send out. Again, make sure the appropriate company image is well represented. If utilizing the formula works and increases traffic to your sights; keep doing it! If not, change it up, and don’t be afraid to try new methods until you find out which one works best for you!