With the evolution of social media, businesses of all shapes and sizes are exploring the various platforms and how to use them to their advantage. While there are many standout platforms such as Twitter and Instagram that can be extremely effective for businesses, marketing through social media isn’t limited to just a couple of platforms. There are literally hundreds of different social media channels that you can use to reach your audience and promote your business.
In this article, we will outline 5 different online marketing social media strategies that you can use to grow your business.
1. Create content on multiple platforms.
The very first and most obvious tip for anyone considering marketing through social media is to create content for all the major platforms. You never know where your audience is located, and by creating content for all the major social platforms, you increase your chances of reaching a much wider audience. If you own a business, creating content for YouTube can also act as a great learning tool for your employees. It allows you to teach them about your industry, talk about upcoming sales, or showcase the various ways your products can be used. Plus, according to HubSpot Blogs research, 73% of consumers have watched an explainer video to better understand or learn about a product or service.
When creating content for social media, you don’t necessarily need to focus on producing high-quality videos. Instead, you can use a tool like Storyform to quickly and professionally craft video stories that include highlights from your product demos, customer service videos, and interviews with subject matter experts. You can also experiment with different styles of videos (such as those using popular music and imagery) to draw in your audience and increase the odds of them engaging with your content. If you want to stand out among your competition, taking the time to create a high-quality, custom video can be the key to attracting customers and gaining credibility.
2. Use keywords in your content.
When someone decides to type a word or phrase into the search bar of a search engine, they are looking for content that relates to what they are searching for. If you want your website to be found during these searches, you need to incorporate these keywords into your content. This not only helps the search engines find your content, but it also increases the odds your audience will engage with your content. You can also use free tools like Google Keyword Planner to easily find the most popular keywords associated with your niche.
For example, if you run a sports clothing store, you might want to incorporate the keywords ‘sport’, ‘football’, and ‘soccer’ into your blog posts and website content. Doing this will not only make your content more relevant to your target audience, but it will also boost your search rankings on the major search engines. When someone searches for ‘sport’ clothing, your website might show up as the number two result on the search engine, rather than the 10th or 20th result. Using keywords doesn’t guarantee you’ll rank highly on search engines, but it can certainly help.
3. Post frequently.
The more you post, the more you will get in return. Whether you’re a small business or an established brand, people come back for more content when they see it regularly. If you want to grow your audience and have people come back for more, you need to be posting at least once every two weeks. Some businesses post as often as daily, and many have noticed that this frequency often results in their content becoming less ‘quality’ and more ‘quantity’ focused.
Often times, this is a result of content fatigue. When we become accustomed to seeing the same thing over and over again, we start to notice inconsistencies and even find it hard to focus on some content due to familiarity. This makes it imperative to continue to seek new and unique content to engage with our audience and keep their attention. By posting frequently and consistently, you create the illusion of personalization and make your content more engaging.
4. Link to other relevant websites and blogs.
When someone decides to click on a link, they expect to be led to a website that is relevant to what they are searching for. If you want to rank highly in the search engines, you need to be sure that the website they are linked to is relevant to what they are searching for. This means incorporating keywords into your linking text and making sure that your homepage leads them to the right place. It is also a good idea to use external websites and blogs to link to as it builds credibility. In the eyes of Google, frequent linking equals trust.
For example, if you run a boutique clothing store for women, you might want to incorporate the keywords ‘bikini’, ‘one-piece’, and ‘swimwear’ into your blog posts and website content. Doing this will not only make your content more relevant to your target audience, but it will also boost your search rankings on the major search engines. If you want to stand out among your competition, making sure your website is fully optimized for the search engines can be the key to attracting customers and gaining credibility.
5. Use hashtags.
While we’ve always known that using hashtags can make a dramatic difference in terms of how our posts perform on social media platforms, many people still aren’t sure about what hashtags are or how to utilize them effectively. When a person searches for a certain hashtag, they are looking for content that includes that hashtag. This can make it easier for them to find the content they want, and it can also help the content perform better when used on social media. You can use free tools like Google Keyword Planner to easily find the most popular hashtags associated with your niche.
If you run a boutique clothing store, you might want to incorporate the keywords ‘bikini’, ‘one-piece’, and ‘swimwear’ into your blog posts and website content. Doing this will not only make your content more relevant to your target audience, but it will also boost your search rankings on the major search engines. If you want to stand out among your competition, experimenting with different kinds of hashtags can be the key to attracting customers and gaining credibility.
Final Takeaway
With so much competition, it’s essential to find ways to stand out from the crowd. One of the best ways to do this is through the content you produce and promote on social media. If you want to grow your audience and have people come back for more, you need to be posting at least once every two weeks. Some businesses post as often as daily, and many have noticed that this frequency often results in their content becoming less ‘quality’ and more ‘quantity’ focused.
Often times, this is a result of content fatigue. When we become accustomed to seeing the same thing over and over again, we start to notice inconsistencies and even find it hard to focus on some content due to familiarity. This makes it imperative to continue to seek new and unique content to engage with our audience and keep their attention. By posting frequently and consistently, you create the illusion of personalization and make your content more engaging.