No matter what type of company or website you run, social media marketing is a must these days. It gives you access to millions of potential customers in a very cost-friendly way. No other marketing platform has its scope and budget-friendliness. But social media marketing is only as strong as your ability to wield it properly. Keep this top advice in mind as you begin to add social media marketing into your strategies.

Look into what types of social networks are used by your target audience. You don’t need to have a presence on every last social media site. In fact, certain social networks are better than others to reach specific audiences. Do some research on what your target audience uses, and put your efforts into the top choices. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself overwhelmed by the social network options, and you’ll never take full advantage of what social media has to offer you.

Look at the best practices of your competitors. More often than not, there will be competitors in your marketplace that have already done a lot of legwork regarding social media marketing. They have taken the lumps from mistakes and found the right networks, options and tactics. Look to them. Learn what they are currently doing, what social networks they specifically use and how often they post and communicate. This will save you a ton of time because these competitors have done the fieldwork for you.

Offer exclusive discounts and benefits to your social media followers. These followers and fans have taken a step to show their trust in your brand. Reward their loyalty with exclusive opportunities. It could be special sales only promoted to them or raffles and prizes that only fans can win. This helps deepen their brand loyalty, and as word spreads you’ll also build a larger fan base increasing your potential customers.

Build conversations with your followers. Social media needs to be just what it says: social. People join social networks to communicate, and if your brand simply advertises at your followers, you’ll soon alienate them and they’ll lose interest in you. You need to build conversation. Ask questions of them. Answer any questions they may have. Respond to other people’s posts. You’ll soon have multiple conversations going and an engaged core of followers that can turn into equally loyal buyers.

Position your products on your social network pages. Social media marketing is allergic to the hard sell; fans and followers are often put off if they feel they are simply being sold at all times. But this shouldn’t stop you from positioning your products for visitors to see what you do. Offer visitors a way to experience your products and services. Showcase the imagery and have fun with it! Let the visual and social experience do the selling for you, and over time you’ll grow your customer base.

Begin your social media marketing with this advice in mind, but don’t stop there. The world of social media is growing fast. Keep on top of the trends, and you can experience success at levels you never imagined possible.