Social Media Marketing - A Beginner’s Guide

Social media marketing has become a real necessity for any organisation these days, if you don’t have a social media presence then you may as well not exist. If you are just about to take the plunge, then there are few golden rules that will help you get the most out of this marketing opportunity.

Pick the Right Platform

You don’t have to engage with every single social media platform. If you try to you are going to make mistakes, get things wrong and spread yourself too thin. You need to select the platform that is the right fit for your business. Do you want a platform that gives you the ability to make lots of small contacts with a lot of people, or do you want the ability to have in depth contact with a few? Do you want a platform to showcase your work? Take the time to think about it before you dive in, because once you join you are committed for the long haul.

Pick a Publishing Schedule and Stick to It

Get organised and plan your publishing schedule. This should be something that you stick to. You want your followers to know that you will be posting content the same time, every week. This means they will get into the habit of checking in regularly and will feel that they are getting value from following you

Link your Website to your social media account

Make sure that every contact points you have with your customer’s points them towards your social media accounts. So, get follow buttons on your website, and embedded into your email. Existing customers are a great way to build your social media following as they will already want to engage with you and this can start your social media network off with a feeling of energy. If you decide to go for more than one platform, then make sure that they point at each other as well.

Provide useful content

You are an expert in something. Make use of that expertise by providing content that informs and interests your followers. You won’t get people engaging if you are just posting marketing material all the time. You need to provide something that they can’t get anywhere else and that makes them feel positively towards your company.

Listen to you followers

One of the best things about social media is that it allows you to have a conversation with your fan base. You can get a lot of feedback through social media that you might not get anywhere else. As always you will get a mix of good and bad comments, but it is all about the way that you deal with these that really matters. By listening to your customers, you will be able to build a reputation of trust and you may also get some free ideas about how to grow and improve your business. After all no one knows what your customers really want better than your customers.

Scott Jones is the CEO of 123 Internet Group, a full service digital marketing agency with a head office in Milton Keynes and further locations in Northampton and London we support a national audience with web design and development, search engine marketing, social media management, hosting and email services. For more information about our services or advice on how to improve your online marketing activities please reach out and connect with us via our website or our social media channels.