Social media marketing is a natural conduit for search engine marketing (SEM).
Social media posts can be used to drive traffic to your website and improve page ranking on search engines like Google. However, just because social media postings can be used to generate organic web traffic, it doesn’t mean it will be free. A well-funded social media marketing campaign can be a better value than other (paid) SEM avenues. Read on to learn how to capitalize on your budget!
1. Content is king
Nowhere is content more important than in social media marketing campaigns. Social media is about engaging with consumers on a personal level in a way that is authentic to your brand. It also is more of a “soft sell” in the sense that social media content is not designed as an overt sales tool. Share funny, cute, or informative content that is related to your brand, products, services, or industry. Social media content should warrant a like, bookmark, or share. If it also leads to a sale, that’s fantastic, but sales, is the long game strategy on social media, not immediate impact. When users enjoy sharing your content, your SEM improves because you are generating more and more backlinks to your site.
2. Platform matters
There are literally hundreds of social media platforms out there. What’s a brand to do? Good news: you don’t need to expand your social media team (nor budget) to encompass all possible platforms. Rather, focus on the few that best cater to the majority of your target audience. Then, invest your resources in creating excellent content for these few sources. This is time and money better spent than mediocre content across many platforms.
3. Be human
Or at least the human version of your brand. Social media is where people turn for a sense of community. The last thing users want is to feel like they’re being spammed by ads in their free time. Social media is the time to make jokes, share news about your brand or industry, comment on posts from your target audience, and answer questions and reply to comments users leave on your brand’s pages.
Being smart with your social media content is a great way to turn Instagram into insta gold.
4. Turn your customers into repeat-buyers
Your best leads are users who have already converted! Use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to engage with customers who have previously shopped with you. Alert them when similar products become available. Odds are, customers who have had a good experience with your brand will gladly buy from you again if you help them keep your company top-of-mind.
Additionally, you can and should use social media to retarget leads who have visited your site, but have not yet made a purchase. Make sure such customers are included in your ad groups to be alerted when items they marked for their wishlist or left stranded in their cart go on sale, for example.
5. Siri, is that you?
Just because you don’t have staffing or the budget to post an employee on 24/7 customer support doesn’t mean you need to go without. Chatbots and artificial intelligence are getting smarter everyday, and they can answer your customers’ questions around the clock. There are different ways to use chatbots effectively, and your SEM team will thank you for many of them. Just don’t blindly add a chatbot to follow a trend. As always, stay true to your brand and do what’s right for your particular business.
6. Show off your people
People love stories. Share stories from your happy customers and employees. This is yet another way to humanize your brand on social media. It also serves to give potential customers and brand-loyal followers ideas for ways to use your brand’s products and services in ways they might not have previously considered. Reviews are a powerful positive for Google rankings and your SEM strategy.
7. Keep an open mind when budgeting
Social media marketing and SEM are no longer marketing managers’ best kept secrets. Companies far and wide are catching on. Now that it’s clear social media marketing is here to stay, companies are always learning and improving. As a result, social media marketing and SEM are getting progressively more competitive. Recognize that you might need to adjust your budget in coming years to keep up.
8. Stay on your toes
The good and bad news about social media and SEM is that they’re always changing. Don’t fret just because you miss a trend or don’t excel on a platform. Even more importantly, don’t waste precious dollars going all-in to chase a trend if you’re on the tail end. Keep an eye out for new trends, because the next one is right around the corner.
Nearly 70% of the people on the planet are active social media users. Nearly 80% of businesses are engaging with customers and leads on at least one social media platform. Launch or improve your social media and SEM strategies today to improve brand recognition and perception and generate more sales!
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