Back To Basics: Social Media 101
What is Social Media?
At first, Social Media seems like just another way to connect with friends and family. We all love to connect!
There are 31.47 million Americans who are actively using social media sites monthly. That's right: 70 percent of the country's population is active people on social media!
Social Media is its own world within Marketing and it is by far the most useful tool to both build and maintain a customer base. After all, what makes marketing effective is how many people are seeing it.
Most importantly: Social Media is the way to invoke authority and to define your purpose in the minds of your customers.
Why should I invest in Social Media Marketing?
Social media is a tool of connection, and social media platforms are the most utilized apps by far.
Everyone's scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok these days for fun and for work. In fact, the most successful social media accounts these days are the ones that share tools for education and growth.
Unlike 5 years ago, when people would tune in on Instagram to look at photos of family and friends, many research about their favorite tops utilizing that tool in order to find posts that are easy to look at, quick to follow, and straight to business.
People also want to know who they are working with and the "why" behind their business. So yes, they want to see you!
Whether you're an 18-year-old college freshman or a 60-year-old construction business owner, people want to know YOU and the WHY behind your business.
Think about it: how many people do you know in the same line of work you have? Now think about how useful it is to have access to the knowledge and skillsets of your community 24/7? That's how social media users in the business world view social media.
They look at it as constant access to valuable information.
Main Social Media platforms:
Instagram:
Currently, Instagram is the most popular social media tool among business owners because of how easy and streamlined the content is. There are also many possibilities of interactions between business and customers, and between businesses and other businesses. Instagram is excellent for pictures, videos, viral content, dense content, answering questions, and creating buzz for your business. Posting high-quality photography/video/graphics, with captivating hashtags and cultivating a loyal following are key factors for a successful Instagram account. The number of followers doesn’t matter as much as the quality of the engagement you get from the content you make available. Also, you can now set up your store through Instagram which allows people to buy without having to open your website, making impulse buys more accessible.
Ideal for: Sharing content, viral content, portfolio, real-time content, selling.
Facebook:
Although Facebook is losing popularity among younger users, it is still an excellent tool for business owners. Not only because of Facebook Marketplace which allows for businesses and people to sell goods and services directly to folks in many communities; there’s also a variety of groups of all kinds of niches in there which is perfect for business owners to pitch their services directly to the public that is most likely to be interested in it. For example, a hair salon can post about its services directly to a group of beauty enthusiasts.
Ideal for Networking and Community Building.
Twitter:
Twitter isn’t essential to a business's success, however, it can be valuable. Because the users tend to be engaged on the content post - it can make your Tweet go viral for good or bad reasons, depending on what you say and how people react. It’s definitely ideal businesses that cater to sports fans, music fans, folks who follow politics and the news closely, and pop culture aficionados.
Twitter is a must-have tool for entrepreneurs who seek to get visibility to their lectures, books, and business ideas and practices.
Ideal for short-form text, retweeting, and sharing opinion pieces.
TikTok:
At first, TikTok seems like a social media site filled with teenagers dancing and singing. However, TikTok’s algorithm and accessibility make it extremely easy for the content to go viral.
There’s a thriving community of business owners and entrepreneurs on the platform sharing tips, sneak peeks, and behind the scenes of their routine. Every type of content has the potential to go viral there.
Don’t believe me? One of the popular hashtags in the platform currently is #cleantok which is where people share their cleaning tips, ideas, and process. Several house cleaning business owners have found success within the platform by sharing videos showcasing their services. Likewise, carpenters, house painters, and even accountants have gone viral by utilizing the platform to share more about their careers.
If your account is successful, your content can get monetized pretty quickly! And depending on your line of work, being successful on TikTok could mean sponsorships and partnerships with bigger companies.
Ideal for short videos, funny videos, blooper content, day in the life, Q&A, tips, and tricks of the trade.
Pinterest:
The most underrated social media tool, and yet the one that leads to more sales and leads. It is 80% more viral and 3x more effective than Twitter for leads!
Pinterest is basically a visual search engine so think visually. It’s smart to share blog posts, photos, videos, and templates on Pinterest which will lead to more clicks to your website.
Pinterest integrates easily with all other social media pages which makes posting in it very efficient.
Pins get more inbound links!
Ideal for: curating a loyal audience, finding what works and what doesn’t inbound traffic.
Linkedin:
LinkedIn is essential for any business that wants to be taken seriously by other businesses. It is essentially your professional portfolio, greeting card, and your business’s legitimacy stamp!
The perfect content for LinkedIn is thoughtful, balanced, and well-researched posts that are related to the niche you’re directly involved with. It is also ideal for networking!
Keep a clean, polished image on Linkedin.
Ideal for: long articles, community building, and networking.
Youtube:
Youtube is a really fun platform to explore. If your business is too niche, your content has the potential to do really well. The community aspect of Youtube is truly great with people engaging with content by sharing their opinions on your video and most likely sharing on their social media platforms.
A huge aspect of Youtube these days is the educational content there. If you post videos of tutorials you are guaranteed to get a few views! There are always people looking for tips on how to do just about anything, and if you have the skill to share with eager learners, then Youtube is your go-to platform!
Ideal for: tutorials, how-to, opinion pieces, portfolio.
How to know if I'm using it well?
I know, it's really discouraging to put a lot of effort into a social media post and not get many likes or comments.
But anything in this world takes some work, right? We have a series of articles discussing the best strategies for each of these social media platforms, so keep your eye open for our posts!