In this article I will I discuss what you need to know before you get started with social media marketing. As you know everyone seems to be pushing this medium for marketing but is it really the medium to choose if you don't have a clue what you need to do to get started.
Here is what most people are doing they are picking every and any social media site to blast their business message without any care of who they are delivering it too. I only have one question to ask when it comes to that method of social media marketing. How is that working for you?
In most cases the reply would be it is not working, the first thing you have to keep in mind is social media is a just another medium and if it is not used properly it can't be effective.
When creating a marketing campaign you normally create of list of potential mediums that would be great for your business or your marketing message.
Here is an example if you was using radio to market your message you would first get a list of radio that you can run your ad on. You would then decide which radio station out of the list has the audience that would respond to your message, in a nutshell you would target your ads based on the demographics not on popularity.
Now with social media it seems that people are not doing the basic which is getting the message correct for the right audience. That is key although you can start out promoting your message for free but in the long run it is not really free.
The reason I stated that it is not free is the time you have to put in creating a marketing message for social media. This time you put in can never be compensated if you are spending hours upon hours with no measurable results.
As a result, you need to plan how much time you are investing the same way you budget the money that you will lay out for a radio or TV ads.
Now here is the meat of this article do not go out and join 100 social media sites because it is the hottest thing to do. If you are new you should start with 1 to 3 sites.
Doing it this way allows you to measure and track what is working and what is not working. So instead of creating 20 profiles on every social site that you heard of you need to ask yourself a couple of questions:
• Do my client or potential client visit this sites?
• How would I be delivering my content?
• Does this medium allow me to deliver the content that way I choose?
• Is it very time consuming?
• What are my goals: Connecting with existing customers, reaching new prospects, or establishing relationships with potential partners?
• Am I ready to make a long-term commitment to social media?
Answering these question will help you decide how you will be spending your time and I do mean spending your time. Treat it as an asset.
Balance your natural preferences with logical choices about where you can best reach your desired audience. Yes, you want exposure to the people you need to "meet," but you also want to pick sites that are appealing and fun for you. If you hate video, don't commit to YouTube! Instead, select something that you won't dread doing.
Please keep in mind that YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Linked in may be the big boys but remember, there are millions and millions of people online, and hundreds of social media sites to choose from. You're sure to find a good match (or three!) between your target market and your individual preferences.
In conclusion make sure you remember to choose the audience first then choose the social media medium to you will be syndicating your marketing message.
Source by Devon G Artis
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