Marketing is an ever-evolving process. If your business has been around awhile, you’ve probably used a lot of marketing tools over the years, including the Yellow Pages, print advertising, radio ads, TV commercials, direct mail, and more. But unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you know there’s a new kid on the block, and that’s social media marketing.
Social media marketing, of course, is just what it sounds like. Marketing to prospective customers, and engaging existing customers on social media. The way you market on social media and which social media channels you utilize depends a lot on your brand, whether you’re a B2B or B2C, and your target audience.
If you’re a B2B and your ideal customer is a professional, LinkedIn may be a good place for you to advertise, as well as post Thought Leadership articles. You can generate leads and build brand awareness as well as develop strategic partnerships.
If you’re an interior design company, or architecture firm, etc., Instagram and Pinterest may be good channels for you to use. Both platforms are heavy on photos, and prospective clients will view your photos for inspiration. Then, many times they will call you to buy your product or service. The average age of an Instagram user is 18-35, and the average age for a Pinterest user is 18-44. More women than men use both channels.
Facebook is a good social media channel for any business to use. Facebook for Business is a great channel to utilize, no matter how big or small your business is. Whether you’re an established brand or just starting out, Facebook has a suite of marketing tools and analytics that allow you to target your ideal customer. Factors such as age, gender, educational status, etc. are considered. The analytics help show you what’s working and what’s not. And Facebook owns Instagram and WhatsApp, so you have a lot of choices from one parent company. The average age of a Facebook user is 25-55+. Both men and women use Facebook on a regular basis.
Twitter is another social media channel that’s good for just about any business. Twitter users are looking for great content and stories from the businesses and brands they’re interested in. And just a few retweets of a special offer is enough to generate business. Linking to videos is a smart idea for marketing on Twitter. Twitter says video views on the platform have grown 220 times what they were just 12 months ago. The average age of a Twitter user is 18-49.
If your target audience is in the younger set, Snapchat may be a social media marketing tool for you to look into. Before you commit time and resources, you need to know that more than 70 percent of Snapchat users are under 34 years old. If your target market is older and more established economically, Facebook may be a better bet for your digital marketing dollars.
YouTube for business is another great option for just about any business. The use of video is growing by leaps and bounds, as more and more companies are discovering the benefits of video marketing. You can embed videos on your website or link to them in your various social media marketing campaigns. Having business YouTube channel makes you more likely to be found by people who are searching for your products or services. The age of an average YouTube user totally depends on what type of video they are looking for.
According to Cisco, Internet video traffic is expected to grow four times and constitute 81% of ALL consumer traffic by 2021. And because of that consumer trend, search engines like Google are starting to put videos higher in the SERPs. So, add some videos and a YouTube channel to your digital marketing efforts.
If you have a great website that’s SEO friendly, you know already how search engine optimization helps you get found in organic search. Search engines crawl through social media posts as well when a user enters a phrase into the search field. So, if you optimize your videos and social media posts, you are helping your overall SEO efforts.
If all this seems a bit much, you may want to consult with a branding and creative services company for some guidance. Target market analysis would be a good place to start. This will ensure that you are using social media marketing techniques and channels that will allow you to reach your ideal customer.
