There are plenty of ways to use digital marketing, and social media is quickly becoming one of the most popular. Whether you use social media as part of your digital marketing plan depends on several factors. It can be a difficult decision to make, and the success of your business depends on making the right choice.
When Should You Include Social Media in Your Digital Marketing Plan?
When You Need More Audience Engagement
Social media excels in connecting people. If you want to really engage with your audience, using social media platforms is ideal. It’s a great way to give product or service information, answer questions, and get real time feedback.
To Get Organic Inbound Traffic
If you’re having trouble getting people to visit your website, social media can help. It can drive more traffic to your domain, without solely relying on people finding you through a search engine.
Posting content on different platforms allows you to reach customers you otherwise might not. People don’t just use search engines to find information and solutions, they often look at other platforms too.
When You Want to Build Rapport With Customers
Social media is much more personal than a regular website. In fact, businesses that engage with their customers through social media experience greater brand loyalty than those that don’t. Some studies report that certain demographics are even 62% more loyal to businesses that interact on social media.
You Want to Save on Marketing Costs
While social media platforms often allow paid advertising, you don’t have to choose a paid option. Creating content that’s easily shared, and appealing can be every bit as effective as a paid campaign.
Even if you do choose to promote your post or use paid ad options, it’s often much more cost effective than other marketing strategies. It doesn’t cost anything to start a profile for your brand, and any advertising costs are entirely at your discretion.
When You Need to Understand More About Your Customers
Social media platform provide some form of insight into how your customers interact with your brand. With social media marketing campaigns, you can see detailed analytics reports. Or check out the way people share, like, or view your content.
You can see results quickly, and in most cases, immediately. When you get a notification that someone has interacted with your content, you’ll know what works with your audience and what they like.
If You Need to Fine Tune Your Audience
Not every marketing plan is the same, but no matter how you advertise, it’s important to know your audience. Sometimes, a business may think it’ll attract a certain demographic, only to later find they appeal to another group entirely.
If you advertise through more traditional methods, like TV or radio, it’s hard to discern which audience is attracted to your brand. With social media, you can fine tune future digital marketing plans. You can tell which customers are interacting with certain posts, content, or even your brand in general. Then, you can use that to guide your next campaign.
When Should You Not Include Social Media?
If You’re Not Comfortable Using It
When you’re in charge of your brand’s digital marketing plan, it’s important to understand the tools you’re using. It quickly becomes obvious to people when a brand using social media isn’t well versed in the platform. If that’s the case, consider hiring an expert or advisor to help you learn the ropes. Otherwise, it’s better to avoid social media than make blunders that you can’t take back.
If You Can’t Relate to Your Audience
Or rather, if you can’t make yourself (and your brand) seem relatable to your audience. Social media is certainly less formal than your business website. These platforms are by far mostly about informal engagement. That doesn’t mean you need to pull out slang, but you shouldn’t sound robotic. It can leave a bad impression on potential customers, and ultimately do more harm than good.
When You Don’t Have a Plan
Random posts won’t do your business any good. In fact, it can make you seem unorganized and unrelatable. Make a plan for creating content that’s relevant to your customers and your business. Think quality over quantity, and post with your audience in mind.
When You Don’t Have Other Online Presence
If social media is your only presence online, it can come off as unprofessional. Customers may prefer engaging on social media, but they still want to see a solid business website too. Don’t focus all your energy on social media if you don’t have a presence anywhere else. You should prioritize having a professionally designed website to represent your business.
In Summary
Social media can drive traffic, loyalty and conversions to any business. The catch is, you have to use it properly. Social media is an ideal way to engage your customers, but remember to keep it relevant and relatable. If you need a comprehensive digital marketing solution that includes social media, contact us today to see how we can help.
Stephan Boehringer is the CEO of Get The Clicks, a web marketing company. Stephan has over 20 years of experience in the field of web marketing, and has been a speaker and consultant for many years. Stephan is passionate about web marketing and helping their clients be the best they can be.
Stephan Boehringer graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services.
