Now that we live in the digital age, we are exposed to social media every single day. Why? Because social media allows us to communicate and share content quickly, efficiently, and in real-time. When you take a look from a marketing perspective within a business, no matter how big or how small, social media has become a necessary marketing channel that all companies need to tap into in some capacity to be successful. Moreover, if you have a stellar social media strategy, great things will come from it, and you will see the results firsthand. That sounds easy and doable, right? Not exactly. Your business or brand needs to have a successful social media strategy to see tangible results. Additionally, you also have to put in the work and invest in the resources to achieve success. If you want to grow your business online, you need to start attempting to understand social media. It is imperative to keep up-to-date with the latest social media trends and understand various platforms' changing algorithms. Since the social media landscape is evolving quickly, you must ask yourself, “How can I continue to use social media to yield the best results?” With over 3 billion active social media users worldwide, you must have a clear understanding of how to engage with the different audiences you are trying to target for your social media strategy to be effective. With so many possibilities, it may all seem a little overwhelming at first. That’s why we’ve created this ultimate guide for social media marketing. Follow along in the following sections where we will touch on various topics surrounding social media. Table of Contents Types of Social Media Networks Types of Content You Should Consider How to Engage Your Audience Effectively on Social Media Growing Your Audience on Social Media Platforms Organizing Your Content Paid Advertising Tracking Your Process with Social Media Analytics Tools Benefits of Social Media Marketing Creating and Curating Engaging Social Content Make Timeliness a Top Priority on Social Media Frequently Asked Questions About Social Media Marketing Conclusion Types of Social Media Networks Businesses can choose from many social media networks to help build their online presence. These networks connect people from around the world, and with so many to choose from, here are the most-used social media networks for businesses: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Hand holding a cell phone, with social media icons on the screen Although there is a wide variety of networks available for businesses to choose from, it may not be wise to try and build on all of these platforms at once. Instead, companies need to be strategic in selecting the critical networks that will be the most beneficial for building their online presence and achieving optimal results. This is all dependent on the type of digital content your company generates. For example, if your brand or business does not have a lot of visual content to share, then platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube may not be ideal to consider for your social strategy. However, research shows that the two necessary components all businesses should “be on” are LinkedIn and Facebook. Below, you will find a brief breakdown of the different types of social media platforms your business can consider using to build and improve your online presence. Facebook With over 2 billion active monthly users, Facebook has more users than any other social network. As one of the pioneers of social media platforms, Facebook’s users comprise a wide range of different demographics, which provides an extraordinary medium for your business to connect with your prospective customers all around the world. Facebook for businesses also provides a variety of tools for users, including options for targeting different audiences. Take Starbucks, for example. Their Facebook page has over 37 million likes and 35 million followers. As one of the top Facebook business pages, Starbucks integrates additional features such as their interactive store locator map and Pinterest to keep users engaged. Check out some of the other best Facebook business pages here. Twitter Indeed, we are all familiar with the classic 140 (now 280) character social media platform, intended for users to share small bursts of information known as “tweets.” With over 330 million monthly active users, Twitter is one of the largest platforms for social listening. Twitter allows businesses to learn more about their customers, and it is also a powerful platform to stay up-to-date with hot and current trends. Twitter is a platform for businesses to get the word out about products and services, provide updates, and engage in customer service. Here are three things to keep in mind when using Photo Editing Services Twitter to build your business’ online business: Find out who your audience is and what they’re talking about Focus on conversing rather than selling Share relevant and engaging content that others will retweet/reshare Some of Twitter’s best brands have become masters at producing quality content for this 280-character platform to increase their brand exposure. Learn the five ways to use hashtags in social media marketing effectively. LinkedIn LinkedIn has become an effective tool for businesses that engage in B2B marketing. As a top lead-generating platform, LinkedIn makes connecting with potential clients and consumers at the B2B level easy. You can filter your target audience by job title, company name, location, etc. 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn, and 79% of B2B marketers say that LinkedIn is a significant source for generating leads. As one of the top lead generators for businesses to build relationships and connect with potential customers at the B2B level, LinkedIn is a social media platform that provides opportunities for targeting potential leads by making it easy to build connections in different industries.

As part of our series of digital marketing webinars, we had the pleasure of hosting Raakkel Simms, Head of Customer Success Department and Strategic Partnerships at PromoRepublic – a social media marketing company that helps brands connect with their local and effectively manage their social media content strategies at scale. The webinar, Common Social Media Mistakes Every Business Should Avoid, is available to watch here. Today’s consumers use social media throughout the buying journey The onslaught of COVID-19 brought with it a necessary move to selling via the internet. After this rapid customer behavior change, but despite the easing of lockdown restrictions, online sales grew 7.4% in July compared to March. Google tops the start of a search, but social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram are increasingly being used by at least 50% of consumers to search for local businesses and 78% of local mobile searches result in an in-store purchase. Social media mistakes businesses commonly make and how to avoid them 1. Your business page is unsearchable This is an easy mistake to fix because all the tools and fields are laid out for you on the social site. With social media being the second most-searched Philippines Photo Editor term on Google, it is important to share key information about your business on your business pages so that consumers can navigate to you autonomously. Include information like: Contact details, Address and embedded map, Images, delivery options, “Order now” button. 2. Posting irrelevant content Currently, the first thing you need to do is put your customers’ minds at ease by sharing your COVID-19 safety measures. Beyond that, make sure that your posts are relevant, engaging, and well designed. Balance text, white space, and unique images. Branded graphics are especially important when sharing links. Use interactive content such as polls and videos to encourage engagement. While quality content is critical, quantity also matters. Aim to post at least once a day to boost your spot in the algorithms. Include things like: Catchy slogan, Well-structured text, Emojis, Clear CTA, Right custom visuals, Interactive format, Mobile first design. 3. Not connecting with followers Responding to both compliments and complaints with grace shows the public what your company’s values are. Answering queries promptly highlights your responsiveness. All this is great for your image – and especially good for online reputation management. Plan and develop a social media editorial calendar with the right content mix The magical formula for a balanced social media mix is: 40% engaging content, questions, polls, quotes 30% promotional content, special offers and discounts 20% educational content, advice, tips, hacks 10% curated content, from other industry experts WSI can help! With the assistance of your local WSI consultant, you can boost your social media marketing for noticeable results. For more information on improving your social media experience and other digital marketing strategies, contact WSI today.