Social Media Marketing in Five Steps

Establishing a good social media marketing campaign for your business could make a difference for your sales. Keep reading to learn more about social networking.

Start by creating profiles on sites your audience is likely to use. You should create profiles on Facebook and Twitter and any other site your target audience is using. Take the time to create original designs for your profiles, but make sure you create profiles that can easily be recognized as being affiliated with your brand. Use the name of your brand when registering for a profile and place a logo on your page. You also need to place links to your homepage and product pages in visible locations as well as your contact information. If you join more than one site, add a link to your other profiles on each site.

Post updates on a regular basis. You need to write quality content that your audience will want to read and share with their friends. Posting links to your blog updates or new products is a good idea, but do not hesitate to share news stories and articles from external sites related to your industry. Keep track of the comments you get and of how many people share your updates to find out what your target audience is really interested in. You might find that certain formats such as top 10 lists are more shared than others.

Establish a real connection with your audience through social networks. On your site, add links to your social network profiles as an option to contact you with questions, requests or suggestions. You should be very polite and professional in your interactions with people on social networks. If necessary, create a personal profile so you can talk to your friends and family privately. Remember that the social network profile associated with your brand is basically a storefront for your business; it is necessary that you make a good impression. Use your real name to encourage people to trust you but treat them as customers, not as friends.

Make a few changes to your website or blog so that sharing your content becomes easier. You should add social network buttons to your blog posts; most blogging platforms automatically add Facebook, Twitter, Google + or Pinterest buttons to your posts. You can easily get the code for these buttons on social networks if you wish to add them to your site. You also need to place links to your different profiles and invite people to connect with you on these sites by mentioning the kind of content you share, including discounts and other exclusive offers. You could create contests or advertise some discounts on social networks only to create an interest around your updates. Your audience will connect with you on these sites if this is perceived as valuable.

Use these tips to reach out to millions of potential customers in a low-cost marketing campaign. Take the time to develop a good campaign and to adapt it to your audience.