Using social media to market your business

Almost every kind of business is jumping on the social media marketing(SMM) bandwagon nowadays, and if you haven’t yet, it’s probably time to reconsider your decision. Before you dismiss SMM as yet another internet hype, let’s look at some data provided before we help you with some guidelines on how to get started.

The data don’t lie

Social Media Examiner’s sixth annual social media study showed that 92% of marketers concur social media is important for their business, and that social media marketing efforts have generated more exposure for their businesses. Whether you are looking to increase traffic to your website, convert browsers to sales, add on to your list of leads or build credibility to your brand, there is a way with social media. And to add the cherry on the cake, your efforts will be measurable. Sounds good yet?

How do I start?

If you are new to SMM, fear not, because so many people use it these days means you can find tonnes of free resources to help you. It’s a huge topic, but you need to know briefly what your goals are, the resources you need, the tools and channels available and how to measure your returns.

If not, you can always pick our brains here at Pixel Tie for some quick guidance:

1) Goals

Do not make the mistake of some businesses who jump on the SMM hype to start a Facebook Page and then let the account sit in neglect. Always start with your goals. Ask yourself what do you want to achieve?

2) Choose the right channel for your target audience

If you still think Facebook and Twitter are the only two social media channel, you probably got to expand your social media vocabulary. While Facebook is still one of the most popular social networking sites, it may not be the best channel if you are a law firm targeting companies who need legal advice.

Facebook – a pioneer you can’t neglect. There are more than 1 billion active user accounts on Facebook and continues to be one of the largest social media platform. Facebook Business pages offer companies an easy way to start a presence on social media, build up a user community and engage feedback. You can also use advertising to target relevant audiences as well as bring traffic to your site by publishing quality content.

Twitter –  With a 140-character limit, the platform is useful for providing updates, bite-sized news and tweeting opinions. It’s great for building up a brand or as an authority in a specific topic by attracting like-minded followers. You can also use promoted tweets to reach a wider audience, as well as categorise your followers into Twitter lists for various uses.