There is a wealth of information on the web about how to market an online store, but the one place you might not find is social media.

It’s easy to understand why. After all, people are busy working their way through the everyday grind of life, and often feel more comfortable engaging with content that is bite-sized and enjoyable. Long-form content might also feel more authentic. After years of marketers focusing on in-person interactions, social media have provided brands with the opportunity to engage with consumers through digital channels.

But while you might be tempted to skip out on social media and concentrate on more conventional marketing channels, you might be surprised at how much they can do to promote your business.

1. Create content that is shareable.

This content doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is something that is interesting and engaging enough that your audience wants to share it with their friends. From making videos to blogging, to creating artwork for social media, there are plenty of ways you can engage with your audience through content. As the saying goes, content is king.

You should put yourself in your audience’s shoes for a moment. What would you enjoy reading or viewing the most? What do you look for when evaluating and selecting content to share? Answers to these questions will guide your content creation efforts. If you can get creative and come up with unique and interesting answers, you are guaranteed to stand out among your competitors.

2. Use platforms that are most relevant to your target audience.

You would never recommend a product that your audience didn’t care about. Why should social media be different? The key is to find the right platform for your target audience. One of the best ideas I’ve ever had was stumbling upon a blog written by a hairstylist. The content was on the topic of hairstyle trends and she mentioned how much she enjoyed using certain products. Because her target audience was made up of mostly women, she decided to take advantage of this opportunity and incorporate her favorite products into a Facebook ad campaign. Women between the ages of 25 and 44 were the ideal audience for this particular blog post, so she used this particular demographic in her campaign. Within this group, she assumed that the readers wanted to look their best and that the products she used were the best for this purpose. In the end, she doubled her traffic in less than a month and eventually turned this one blog post into a successful product review site with multiple articles on the same topic. You simply can’t make this kind of judgment call about your audience’s needs and wants based on one blog post or one product mention.

3. Measure the success of your campaign.

In addition to coming up with ideas for blog posts and ad campaigns, you should also be measuring their effectiveness. Did my guest blog post lead to the publication of a book? Did my Facebook ad campaign drive a spike in web traffic that turned into sales? The answers to these questions will determine how useful and effective your efforts were. Don’t be afraid to try new things and see what works best for your campaign. Trying new strategies and measuring progress can help you create the best possible experience for your customers. If you are using different platforms to drive traffic to your website, you can easily track the success of each campaign. This way you can choose which one is the most effective – and also which one you should continue using for future campaigns.

4. Keep an open mind and be willing to change.

This one might be the hardest. You have a clear idea of what worked and what didn’t, but it’s important to remain flexible and prepared to try new things. Sometimes, a plan isn’t exactly what you need. One of the best things that came out of my guest blog post experience was that I was able to network and meet other professionals in the same industry. It wasn’t until later that I learned about a platform called HubSpot that was specifically designed for small businesses like mine. Not only did I learn about this platform, but I was also able to get a free trial (which included a salesperson who walked me through the platform’s features and how to use them effectively). Once I used this trial, I was hooked and decided to switch my entire operation to using this platform. Not only did HubSpot change the game for me and my team, but it also allowed me to network with other businesses and gain valuable advice. You may find that something as simple as a Facebook ad will do the trick for you. However, if you are looking for a step by step guide on how to build a successful blog, you should check out my free e-book – How to Build a Blog That Makes Money.

The key is to find the right niche and build a community. If you can do that, it’s almost guaranteed that your business will succeed. And don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. There are plenty of platforms out there that can help you build a successful community, provided you are willing to put in the work.