There are no two ways about it – modern businesses need social media. Social media marketing has a massive impact on the success of any business. But as an accessible and affordable way of advertising, it is an especially relevant strategy for small and new businesses with limited resources. There are, however, many different ways to use social media for business and, therefore, many different types of social media marketing. Each of them comes with its own pros and cons. In order to choose the right one for your business, you need to understand the differences between them.
Why is it important to understand the different types of social media marketing?
You’ll hardly find anyone who doesn’t have at least one or two social media accounts they use regularly. This is especially true for younger generations. So if you want to attract customers that will stay with you for years to come, you’ll need to reach them where they are – on social media. Social media is like any other business tool: it’s only as effective as you are good at using it. So if you want to make the most of social media for your business, it’s best to learn as much as you can about it. This includes the different types of marketing strategies you can employ. Not every type of social media marketing will be equally effective for all businesses or across all platforms. But knowing exactly what’s at your disposal will help you develop a good plan for your company.
What are the different types of social media marketing?
Depending on which platforms you’ve chosen to use and what you want to achieve, you can try different types of marketing on social media. Here are the strategies you should consider:
Social media advertising
Advertising is a type of marketing that aims to promote goods and services to a broad audience using sponsored content that stands out from organic posts on the same platform. Because the goal is to appeal to different demographics, advertising is not personalized. But on social media, ads are typically curated through algorithms based on users’ profiles and history. This can make social media advertising more effective than traditional advertising because ads will only appear for people already interested in the niche. Furthermore, a good ad can blend into the user’s feed and appear more organic than on other channels.
This type of social media marketing is a good idea when you are just starting out, don’t yet have brand recognition, are not sure who your audience is, or don’t yet have the tools and skills to conduct more personalized and targeted campaigns. However, advertising is an investment even on social media. You need to make sure you have the budget for it.
Brand building
Whatever niche you’re operating in, you will certainly have competition. So it’s very important to make your business stand out from the others. This is where branding comes in. Branding creates a unique image that represents the essence of your brand. And social media is the perfect way to achieve it! Create a profile using your name and logo, adopt the kind of tone your customers will respond to, post content that resonates with you, and start interacting with other users. With time, your social media persona will become your brand.
Content sharing
A social media account with no posts is useless. So you’ll definitely need to share some content, whichever platform you’ve chosen. Use this opportunity to market your business. Create content specifically for social media to grow your follower count and expand your reach. Try to go viral with something unique and interesting – even just one viral post can make a huge difference. Remember to also share links to the content on your website; this will increase your traffic. Finally, share other people’s content. Even if it doesn’t directly serve you, it can create valuable connections.
Social networking
Social media was created with the goal of making it easier to establish and maintain connections with others. So why not use it for its intended purpose? After all, business is all about connections too.
The obvious goal here is to establish relationships with customers. You can use your social media to respond to inquiries, offer customer support, and even follow up on leads. But you shouldn’t forget that other businesses also use social media. So if you’re looking to collaborate with another business or even just strengthen your backlink profile, don’t hesitate to interact with other business profiles. Establish the connection first. Then ask for help with link building, marketing, product launches, and more. Other business owners will be more likely to agree to work with you if they already have a relationship with you.
Influencer marketing
Although it’s still a relatively new type of promotion, influencer marketing is a popular choice among brands aiming for a younger demographic. Think of it as an updated, more social media-friendly version of celebrity endorsements. It acts as a particularly influential review, building trust and providing social proof for potential customers.
This type of marketing is ideal for businesses that have physical products to sell, especially if those products have a visual impact (makeup and clothes are good examples). But with a bit of creativity, any business can benefit from an influencer’s endorsement. Offer them a free sample, and they’ll return the favor with free marketing!
Geolocation
Finally, it’s worth remembering that social media looks different in different places. This is because many platforms (including Facebook and Twitter) filter posts based on users’ locations. So if you have a physical store or serve a particular area and want to target that geographic market, make sure you mention where you are in your profile, use local keywords when posting content, and use location-specific hashtags. This will significantly improve your local SEO.
How to choose the right types of social media marketing for your business?
When choosing between different types of social media marketing, you should never only consider one option. In fact, a successful social media marketing strategy requires a combination of tactics. If you have a limited budget, however, you may need to focus on those types of marketing that will yield the highest ROI. Brand building, content sharing, and networking are your best bet in this case. They don’t technically cost anything (although you should definitely budget for content writers, marketing strategists, and the like), and they’re something you have to do anyway if you plan on using social media for business. So start developing your strategy now and reevaluate it regularly to make sure you’re getting the most out of your social media accounts.