13 x 2 Tips for Improving your Social Media Marketing, #1

Does your social media need a boost? Do you want to add something to your online marketing? Trying new things can be fun and refreshing, for both you and your audience.

Topics: Visuals. Audio, Blogging, Feedback, Added Value, Info-Graphics, Content Sharing, Millennials, Xperiment, Strategy.

In this Post, I’ll share 1-13 (part1) ways to improve your Social Media Marketing efforts. 14-26 (part2)

1: Maximize Impact with Visuals. Text & links are important parts of communicating online. They give context & drive traffic. Of course, they can’t work alone. Visual content, clipart & especially photos, has quite an impact on audiences. Done well, images allow you to tell your story simply & quickly. Sites like Tumblr & Exposure  both focus on images. Exposure in particular is a beautiful way to micro-Blog while highlighting your pictures.

2: Add Audio.  If audio wasn’t part of your foray into Social Media Marketing, it may be time to embark on a new adventure. Recording audio involves choosing your message, selecting a program that permits recording & editing, then finding a microphone that fits your budget & needs + deciding where to host your finished product. In some cases you may want to find an application or individual to transcribe the audio files for people who prefer reading.

3: Beef up your Blogging. There are myriad ways to Blog—long-form, short-form (micro-blogging), image-only & more. Your regular Blog is a good place to write longer-form posts when needed. To get the most out of your efforts, make sure your Blog is mobile-friendly. You can test it with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. InstaGram is the perfect platform to showcase shorter posts for a “less is more” approach. No matter how or where you Blog, choose the option that’s right for you & your schedule, then update consistently.

4: Encourage Customer Feedback. on your product or service. Give your customers a reason to help you out. Incentives can run the gamut here, and most are simple & straightforward. The key is to offer customers something of value that fits into your business model. For example, discounts and a chance to win a prize usually serve as great motivators. Brainstorm a number of offers for the year ahead. See what works and build future incentives around those successes.

5: Offer “Added Value”. Want to keep your business top of mind & meet customers’ needs? You can do both—and become a trusted resource—by offering “added value”. For example, offer free Webinars, downloadable eBooks, free Consultations or Discounts to demonstrate the benefits of your products & services – while giving customers immediate assistance with something they’ve already identified an interest in.

6: Generate Buzz with Info-Graphics. People have come to love and rely on info-graphics for explaining information clearly & concisely. Whether you create one yourself or hire a Graphic designer, be sure to include your company’s name and URL. That way your work is attributed to your business as it moves across the Social-sphere. try InfographicLabs.com.

7: Linking. Ask those who share your info-graphic to link the image back to your site, so you’ll enjoy more traffic as well. When you share your info-graphic on your own site, make sure to include some explanatory text that deep links to previous relevant articles you’ve published (if available)

8: Nurture Content Sharing. Whether your Social Media Marketing is comprised of a single person or a staff, you don’t have to figure out meaningful company content on your own—ask for help from other function. Who knows the current projects & goals better than the people who work with them daily? For example, Customer Service can share success stories or ways they meet customers’ needs. Sales can tell you what was particularly hot this season. Product development can give you updates on new releases. Tap into those resources as much as possible. Not only will you make your job easier, you’ll be sure to share the most important information.

8: Learn from Millennials, because they’re digital experts. They’ve grown up in an online world where content is easy to access & available 24/7. Given their proficiency online, they’ve come to expect certain features on the Websites they frequent—clear navigation, fast response times & mobile-friendly options are all important. In addition, compared to their grand- & parents, Millennials are typically more willing to share personal info & opinions with businesses they engage with online. Become familiar with these digital divas expectations and behaviors, then build them into your updates, customer service & Social Media Marketing tactics.

9: You were meant to Xperiment. Why pour money & resources into campaigns that aren’t effective? A/B testing (or split testing) is the best way to find out what’s working and what’s not. You can use Google Analytics to run a test to discover which Social Media Marketing tactics are working best. Then you can run further tests on your most popular platform to see whether images, links or text affect click-thru’s & comments. For example, are your Facebook ads doing the best they can?

10: Review Your Social Media Marketing Strategy. No matter how long your business has been on social media, it’s always prudent to review your Social Media Marketing, assess your success and make any needed changes. Pulling back from one platform and switching it to another may be just the thing you need to freshen up your presence and become more effective.

11: Join in the Customer Experience. Have you tried actually using your product or service yourself? When you look at your business from an customer’s perspective, you’ll have a better understanding of your customers’ experience and gain important insights into what matters to them. Then you can decide what to do to meet their needs.

12: Participate in Conversations. If you want to connect with prospects, you have to engage with them. And to do that effectively, you need to know where they’re engaging most frequently on Social Media. When you know where your prospects hang out, start connecting with them. Read/listen to their content, & comment when you have something to add.

11: Keep Learning. If you’re like most marketers, in the past few years you’ve had to extend your reach into unfamiliar marketing terrain. Social Media Marketing requires constant learning & mastering new skills. As you find new ways to engage your audience, you’ll likely need to learn something new. Venture into audio, video, photography, image editing & focused content marketing to take your Social Media Marketing to new levels.

Conclusion: Social Media Marketing has come a long way. There are many new channels to explore and places where your business can stand out.

Comments: Do you know any other ways of improving your Social Media Marketing?

from Social Media Marketing.com 27 Jan 15 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz

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