Most internet users today use social media networks, meaning that using social media for business purposes is an essential part of marketing today. A large percentage of businesses note that social media marketing offers great results, and if you’re going to compete with other businesses on the web, you’ll need to begin using social media to your advantage. Here is a look at the top social media sites, as well as how you can use them for effective business to consumer marketing.
Currently, Facebook has the largest amount of users when it comes to social media websites. In fact, studies show that 93% of adults who use the web have a Facebook account. With millions of users on Facebook, you can’t afford to overlook this social media site. To get your social media marketing campaign started, you’ll need to create a page for your business. Once your page is created, you can begin building your Facebook presence. Make sure you create a visually appealing page that will encourage people to “like” your business page. To enjoy the best results, make sure that you use friendly posts, focus on photos and learn the best times to post.
Twitter continues to see explosive growth and many businesses already have Twitter accounts. If you plan to usesocial media for business purposes, make sure that you consider this microblogging website. It allows you to communicate in short posts called “tweets.” For an effective Twitter marketing campaign, be sure to complete the entire profile, branding it for your company. Learn to use hashtags when posting on Twitter, since studies show that tweets that have a hashtag or two see higher levels of engagement. Make sure you take time to build a list of followers so more people see your messages. Just avoid constantly posting sales pitches – make your tweets useful and interesting for the best results.
Instagram is all about photos and videos and over 75 million people use Instagram each day. This casual social media site allows you to add pictures and videos that help you to build brand awareness while engaging your audience. When using Instagram, make sure that you choose videos and pictures that represent your company well, ensuring that you keep a unique voice for your company. Try to focus on posting content that your fan base wants to see.
Many businesses don’t realize that Pinterest is an important site that should be included in any social media marketing campaign. When using social media for business, be sure to keep Pinterest in mind. It has already seen explosive growth and continues to grow. Studies show that Pinterest users are the social media users that spend the most money, so Pinterest offers an excellent marketing opportunity. As you pin videos and photos, be sure to include keywords in all your pins and include a link in your pin as well. Ensure that your profile is filled out so your profile doesn’t appear like spam. It’s also possible to monitor the traffic that comes to your site from Pinterest, which can allow you to modify and hone your social media marketing campaign for the best results.
Google+
Although Google+ is not as popular as Facebook, it is growing and has more than 300 million users. The “Circles” feature offered by Google+ lets you easily control your presence on this social media sites, since you can put followers/friends into different circles. This makes it easy to share posts with only a certain group of people so you can personalize posts to certain groups of followers.
Most businesses only think of Twitter and Facebook when considering social media for business marketing campaigns. Make sure you learn more about the social media sites available and find the ones that fit well with the products or services your business has to offer.