Does social media marketing (SMM) help build businesses? Absolutely! It is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach their target audience (prospects and customers).
As noted here, social media has become more pervasive, and it has run headlong into the inevitable intersection between our personal lives and our work lives. How to best manage that intersection is something everyone should understand.
When utilised properly, a social media platform offers several personal and professional benefits for business owners and entrepreneurs, such as peer networking, education, e-mentorship, marketing, recruitment, and many more.
But if not used appropriately, social platforms can land you and your company or brand in serious trouble.
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Don’t let Social Media Get You in Trouble.
How does social media make you feel? It can be very challenging and even lawless sometimes. Personal social media posts or photos of your employees on social media reflect on your company.
We often hear news of shootings and threats by Nazi chat groups on social media in media. And how people have trouble with the authorities for their offensive posts, political messages, derogatory messages or any injurious message or updates or activity on social networks like Facebook and Instagram, Snapchatv, X (Twitter) or YouTube.
The personal social media posts or photos of your employees on social media reflect on your company. Click To TweetSo teach your employees that their actions on social media can put your business in trouble. Have a social media strategy to teach them to avoid posting racist text messages or inappropriate text messages. And if anyone has done so, take action and prescribe the appropriate disciplinary action or recommendations governed by your social media marketing strategy.
According to Sprout Social, social media marketing can have a challenging side even for the seasoned pros. There are some common problems that every marketer has run into and will probably come across again—with unfortunate consequences. In fact, according to a study by Symantec, social media mistakes cost major corporations an average of $4.3 million a year.
Let us look at how social media marketing can keep you out of trouble.
How Can Social Media Marketing Keep You Out of Trouble?
Social media is something that some business owners and entrepreneurs don’t quite understand yet. Some see it as a silver bullet to end all their woes, and others as a mere fad, a waste of precious time with no tangible business value. They see those engaging in social media playing or chatting on Facebook, X (Twitter) and other social channels.
These wrong opinions abound because these business owners have not seen social media marketing’s actual value and how it can keep them out of trouble.
Managing social media profiles on social media networks is highly time-consuming and can become a full-time job. It isn’t as easy as it inclines people to believe. So, staying creative is one of the most challenging social media marketing challenges to overcome in an organisation.
They believe that once they jump onto Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, or any other social media channel and start promoting their company, products, and services, they’ll get customers queuing at their doorsteps to buy.
So how can you use social media marketing as a tool to keep you out of trouble?
Increased Brand Recognition
Through your profile on social media networks, you’re able to gain control of your brand image and educate your community about your brand values and culture.
Social media marketing offers you the ability to differentiate yourself from your competitors through your original posts on various social networks.
It helps increase a brand’s recognition to its target demographic, who can now tell the difference between that brand and its competitors after exposure to the brand on social media. So the chances of getting into trouble because of mistaken identity are reduced.
You can reach new people interested in your brand by running brand-awareness campaigns and targeting demographics based on specific behaviours and preferences. You can use Instagram Stories adverts to increase brand awareness with your target audience.
Another way is by partnering with blogging influencers in your niche to increase your brand awareness with your target customers. In this way, you can launch niche strategies that reach your target customers and fill the top of the funnel (TOF) with people who are already interested in your content, product and other online activities.
If you can build brand awareness with your target demographic, you can help your company become top-of-mind when ready to research and buy.
While there are many paid social options, make the most of your social media networks' free features if you're looking to decrease your budget. Click To TweetHigher Brand Authority
Social media marketing offers your brand the ability to take action and stamp itself as an authority in your chosen field. Through the content you provide on your social channels, you can establish your knowledge and experience in your chosen field.
Thus, your brand would become the respected authority for issues on your chosen subject to your target customers, fans and followers. Pay close attention to the type of content you provide to fans and followers. Being recognised as an authority in your chosen field is something you need to aspire to.
When people regard you as an authority in your industry, there’s every likelihood that you would want to take action to maintain that position. It will instil in all your staff the desire to steer clear of trouble to not tarnish your company image on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram or any other social media networks.
Building robust and irrefutable brand authority is not out of reach as an entrepreneur with many marketing tricks up your sleeve. Gaining recognition goes hand in hand with building strong brand authority. Now is the time to build brand authority online and watch your business flourish.
Becoming an authoritative brand on social media networks is no easy feat, but the massive benefits are worth the effort. But how can a brand build or build upon its authority? As mentioned above, content marketing is an excellent way!
Decreased Marketing Costs
Social media offers an excellent platform for brands to test their target audience’s initial reaction to a particular product, service or marketing campaign before investing further time and resources in it.
The cost of marketing and advertising on social media is often less than advertising in traditional channels like print, radio, and television. So, if you have a small marketing budget, SMM is the smart way to go.
The best way to reduce marketing costs is by approaching your campaigns strategically. Identify all weak links in your campaigns and cut them.
Categorise all customer data into specific groups, so you can create tailored advertisements for each group, rather than having a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy.
While there are many paid social options, make the most of your social media networks’ free features if you’re looking to decrease your budget.
Richer Customer Insight and Experiences
The data you gather from your social media analysis can help you craft unique and more productive customer experiences. It will keep your satisfied customers coming back to you.
Satisfied customers then share their experiences with others through word of mouth or their posts on social media networks, which will help promote your brand and bring in new customers.
It is a lot cheaper, so you’ll not get into trouble with expensive traditional marketing channels.
Social media marketing offers you the ability to differentiate yourself from your competitors through your original posts on various social networks. Click To TweetThese are a few of the ways how social media marketing can keep you out of trouble.
So keep devoting enough time and resources to grow your business through social media marketing. It’s a safe route to follow.
Don’t adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing customers’ needs. Avoid the urge to collect extra data than necessary for your target demographics. Don’t cross the line between being helpful and annoying.
By better understanding consumers’ desires, you can put new initiatives for your brand by layering up digital insight with more traditional customer research.
Final Words
From the above, we have seen that social media is not a waste of time. Your activities on these internet communities can have a positive or negative impact on your business. But if you use social media marketing properly as prescribed above, it can keep you and your business out of trouble.
Did I miss out on any tip that you feel I ought to include? Would you please let me know on X (Twitter). @ademolaabimbola or @mauconline? Bye for now!
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