The world of social media marketing is a constantly changing environment, and if you want to succeed as a marketer, you need to change with it. Before you begin your social media marketing journey, it is imperative to understand how it functions, what are the differences between various platforms, and most importantly, how to measure its results.
We’re going to explore each of these aspects in depth in this article, so that by the time you’re finished reading, you’ll have a better idea of what SMM is and how to use it to its full potential.
The Evolution Of SMM
SMM was initially known as “traditional” or “old school” marketing. Back in the day, traditional marketing was largely limited to television commercials, billboards, magazine spreads, and radio ads. With the rise of the internet, all of these methods of marketing became more effective and easier to reach potential customers.
However, just because these methods are more effective than ever, it does not mean that they are good enough to get your business to the next level. Today, with over 2.8 billion monthly active users on Facebook, over 1.8 billion users on Pinterest, and nearly 500 million monthly active users on Instagram, you can’t ignore the impact that social media marketing has had on business.
By understanding how social media marketing works, you can use it more effectively to gain more customers and build stronger connections with existing customers. In order to do this, it is important to understand how social media functions in general, as well as the specifics of each individual network.
The Functionality Of Social Media
When you log onto a social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you will see that it is a mix of different elements. Most notably, you will see a stream of updates, either via your smartphone or computer, as well as a search bar at the top of the page. This is where you will type in keywords to find content that is relevant to your business.
Depending on the network you log into, you may see comments, images, and videos at the bottom of the page. These are some of the most engaging features of social media, as well as the ones that can drive a lot of traffic to your website. This is also where users can engage with your content, either by “liking” your post, replying to your messages, or sharing your content with their own audiences.
The Different Types Of Social Media
While the general functionality of social media is similar across platforms, each of them has some key differences that you need to be aware of.
For example, Twitter is a microblogging platform where users can post messages up to 140 characters in length. These messages can then be followed by any interested party who is able to see the user’s profile information, including their name, photograph, and the content of their tweets.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Instagram is a photo-sharing platform where users can post both photos and videos that are typically between 15 seconds and one-minute long. Instagram also has standalone apps for both Android and iOS, as well as a web client, allowing for complete access from anywhere.
The Key Takeaways
In the end, whether you choose to engage with your customers on social media or not, the key takeaway is that you should have a plan. Before you begin your social media marketing journey, create a hashtag for your company and brainstorm a list of interesting keywords. The more you know about how social media marketing works, the more you can strategize and use it to your advantage.