The question to end all questions has arrived. When it comes to Social Media Marketing platforms, how many should I use, and how many can I handle?
There is no harm in juggling a few prospects. In fact, it can help you refine your list of objectives and needs from a social media marketing platform.
The number of channels you can manage depends on your time commitment and strategic organisation from the beginning of the campaign. How much effort can you commit to each prospect?
Before You Begin Posting on Social Media Marketing Platforms
Start by identifying your target customer and determining which social media marketing platforms they are more likely to use. There are some great tools available to help you define your target market, that enables you to create questionnaires and storyboards. It is essential that you have a clear picture of who you want to target and talk to before you begin social media marketing.
Make these channels, that you have identified as being right for your target market, your starting point. Powerhouses like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter all have their merits but take differing amounts of commitment to achieve engagement.
Focusing on Facebook for your social media outreach can take around 20 minutes and get the attention of current prospects while also being promoted through sponsorship. This seems like a significant investment compared to a Tweet which could take anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes to rattle off.
Planning out your social media marketing goals, and content, before you begin, will help keep your marketing focussed and strategic. Using a Social Media Marketing Content calendar will allow you to plan out and be strategic in all of your marketing efforts on social media. A well-designed content calendar will enable you to plan all of your content in advance, link it with different campaigns that you are running, and monitor the effectiveness of your efforts.
But The Question of Engagement Remains – Where is my Post Landing?
This is where strategy comes back into the mix. Setting clear, concise, attainable and measurable goals from the onset will help clarify the time commitment and direction you need to take.
This task can seem daunting at the beginning of the journey, and I’m not going to lie to you, a lot of hard work goes into the creation of a well-conceived strategic marketing calendar. But the effort is worth the rewards.
It is at this point that many business owners decide to employ the services of a marketing agency. A marketing agency can help you:
- Create content that is educational and entertaining
- Improve poor past performance in posts
- Improve the quality of your research and content
- Plan ahead, so you don’t miss valuable opportunities and dates relevant to your industry
- Improve time management
- Use all social media marketing platforms equally
Flirting With Social Media Marketing Platforms
In keeping with our dating diaries, some social media channels just won’t work for your brand. Regardless of how hard you try to change them, or how much effort you put in, you won’t reach your target demographic or ideal customer. Fortunately, analytics and data will help you come to this conclusion. At this point, it’s time to cut your losses and move on to greener pastures.
Just like dating, you start by investing a small amount of time at the beginning of your campaign, analyse your results, and gradually pour more of yourself, time and loyalty into a social media marketing platform as the value of it becomes evident.
Pursue what is right for your business and leave those rebel social media platforms that you personally enjoy so much out of your digital marketing equation. After all, you want your business venture to be for richer, rather than poorer.
The Lessons We Have Learnt
This is the last blog in the series on Social Media Marketing, and as such, I thought it would be helpful to end this blog with a quick overview of the lessons we have learnt about social media marketing and dating:
- Be strategic in every marketing decision you make. Ensure there is a reason, audience and measurement for everything that you do.
- Use analytics to your advantage, give yourself the edge amongst your competitors by looking for the types of content that result in greater engagement and interest.
- Engaging your ideal customer is like finding the perfect social setting to start your flirtations.
- For your social media marketing strategy to pay off, you have to fit into your surroundings and visit the same places as your ideal match.
- Adapt your message and thrill your audience with every word and piece of content you publish.
- Which content or type of post you should use on different social media platforms
If you have loved these lessons on social media marketing and you’re ready to see real results from your marketing efforts, it’s time to outsource your social media marketing strategy with Baker Marketing. Call us today on 8352 3091
