Social media marketing (SMM) has become a buzz word today and every other company is trying to get some benefits out of it. On one side, there are companies such as Dell that have increased its profits via the usage of social media platforms; there are many others which have failed miserably. Such companies have no strategy yet they are into it just because either their competitors are doing it or they don’t want to be left out.
Having a pre-planned approach does helps in social media marketing but not without few simple but often over-looked guidelines. Although your marketing strategy is important, the way it is implemented is more important. Sometimes, even a person with no strategy succeeds in mining out the benefits from the social media platforms because of his approach i.e. dealing with the online population. It’s more of a public relationship building exercise than crafting out a witty marketing strategy.
If you are interested in exploring the benefits of social media marketing, this write-up is just for you. Even if you don’t have a marketing strategy right now, these guidelines will always help you.
1. Post Frequently
Whether on-page or off-page, content is king everywhere. Readers like to read the content and increase their knowledge base or have a good time online. A well-written content always steals the show. But remember; concentrate on quality as well or else quantity does not matter.
2. Add Value to the Content
A well-written content not only means grammatically correct but it should retain the readers’ attention as well. It should have the capability to make the reader think, discuss, talk or laugh as the case may be. Keep yourself in the users place and think – would you come back to some blog if the content is of no value? Would you follow someone if you don’t get something useful? The answers to these kind of questions will define the term “value”.
3. Learn to differentiate between facts and opinions
Most of us fail to understand the difference between the two terms and use them interchangeably. It’s the worst thing to do! Literally speaking, fact is something that is true and can be supported by substantial evidence. On the other hand, opinion is a result of emotion or individual’s interpretation of facts. This is the reason why fact is homogeneous whereas opinions are heterogeneous.
4. Don’t indulge in fights
Remember, it’s a conversation and not a fight. Listen to everybody and reply accordingly. If someone praises you for your work or any other reason, do remember to thank him and always remember the word, humility. On the other hand, if someone is criticizing you, don’t indulge in unnecessary arguments. First thing to do is to assess yourself to know the reason of harsh behavior towards you or your company. If you don’t come clean, do apologize to the concerned person. If you are correct then try to know the reason from the person but in a polite manner.
5. Try to personalize things
Personalizing things does not mean to take things at personal level. It means to indulge in conversation as a first person and not as a third party. It has numerous benefits but most importantly it helps to build trust, confidence and sense of belongingness. Try not to broadcast everything but make the users participate in conversation.
6. Respond timely and appropriately
A timely and an appropriate response brightens the path for prospective followers. It majorly helps in word-of-mouth marketing and establishing you as an authority. A timely response which is not appropriate or an appropriate reply which is not at the correct time does not go well with the users. If you are projecting yourself as an expert of some field, always give precise replies.
7. Be informed
Never brag about your expertise or knowledge. Listen to what others have to say and contribute. This helps in building the community.
