The World Of Social Media Marketing
Have you ever wondered what social media marketing is, and how exactly it works for your business? Are you already using social media in your overall marketing strategy but struggling to see results?
Social media has taken the world by storm, and should be a very important part of your inbound marketing strategy, and overall online community presence.
As we are in a transitional period, from traditional marketing strategies to social media marketing, there can still be a lot of unknowns and questions about whether social media is important to a marketing strategy. I may be a little biased, but social media will enhance your marketing strategy, and help drive your inbound marketing leads. Don’t believe me? Let’s dive into the world of social media together.
Social Media Marketing
What is social media marketing?
Simply put, social media marketing is a way for businesses in any industry to build, engage and nurture their target audience (personas) as well as their existing clients. Your social media marketing ties into your overall business strategy and is a key component of your inbound marketing funnel strategy.
People look at social media marketing for those that just want to post and scroll social channels all day. Working in social media can be looked at as an entry-level job that anyone could do, and can be insanely difficult to get buy-in from management on. But my goal here today is to show you just how important social media can be in driving traffic and overall conversions in your inbound strategy.
What does a social media marketer do exactly?
Contrary to popular belief, we don’t just scroll social media all day. Social media marketers work on campaigns and strategies, content schedules, content ideas for various platforms as no two platforms are the same. And you really shouldn’t just post the same thing on every social channel you own. Tweak to identify with that audience on the particular platform. Content isn’t always a one-size-fits-all.
Social media marketers have a deep understanding of the particular target audience(s). If you don’t have an understanding of the target audience, how do you create compelling content that reaches them, which in turn increases conversions?
On that note, it’s also important to note that social media marketers also have an understanding that social media influences a buyer’s journey while building/nurturing their community with current and prospective clients. We know and understand that there are multiple touchpoints before a conversion happens.
Lots of organizations think, “oh, we just need to post some stuff and people will engage/buy” but that’s such an outdated view. People do business with people they like, and that includes brands. If someone feels like you’re just selling them, but not engaging with them, they’re not likely to buy from you.
In addition to that, social media marketers know that a huge part of their job is social listening. As you observe chatter on your platforms, and your competitor’s platforms, you can change and adapt your products/services where needed, to help increase traffic and conversions.
Oh, and did I mention planning? Social media isn’t a fly-by-the-seat of your pants and rush to create content kind of job. By planning out your content pillars and breaking down the types and pieces of content related to that particular pillar, ensures you have a steady stream of content ready to go.
A social media marketer has a great appreciation and deep understanding of the different analytics for each platform. By doing this, we can see which types and specific pieces of content people relate to, and more importantly, those they don’t relate to. And content they relate to can be repurposed down the road. Plus, if the content you thought would do well did not, then you can adapt your content calendar accordingly.
The goal is quality and useful content and is what various social media marketers strive for day in, and day out.
How many social media networks should I be on?
You want to focus on where your target audience/persona?
Some questions to ask before determining which platforms to be on:
Once you are able to deep dive into your personas and determine where they are hanging out on social media, then you can finalize which channels you will create accounts for.
If you’ve already been working on social media marketing and not seeing any results, it’s time to do a deep audit of your social channels. A social audit should be done annually but you can also do it every year and a half.
Audiences change over time, as do platforms. New platforms come out that may work even better for your target audience.
Social media marketing is always evolving, so this is something that needs to be analyzed regularly.
Social media marketing is NOT a part-time job. However, if you are unsure about bringing someone or a team in-house, you do have options. YOu can use an agency or you can contract out to freelancers (content creators, copy-writers, graphic designers etc.).
Why does social media marketing cost so much?
How often do you ask or hear this question when it comes to social media? Organic reach only gets you so far when it comes to growing and nurturing your target audience. To reach your target audience, you’ll need to incorporate some social advertising.
Like traditional advertising, it’s certainly not free. However, on the flip side, you can be more specific in your targeting so you can get more bang for your buck. Social ads aren’t a one-and-done type of situation either. Social media marketers are well aware that there will be multiple touchpoints throughout the buyer’s journey.
Rarely will a prospect see one ad and click to buy. Using advertising in conjunction with a quality content feed will help nurture your prospect and move them through your inbound marketing funnel.
Creating content takes a village. You’ll have a variety of team members involved in your content creation such as copywriter, community manager, graphic designer etc.. You may find that some positions are better contracted out to freelancers to make this a little more cost-effective.
Social tools aren’t always free. You can create a content calendar in a google sheet which is free, or you can use a paid tool to plan out your content. You’ll also need to use a social scheduler such as Later or Hootsuite and while both have free starter plans, to get the most out of the tool, you’ll want to upgrade to a paid version.
You’ll also need tools to create content. Two things that I use are Adobe Creative Suite and Canva Pro. Upgrading to pro was one of the best decisions I made and having access to tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator really help me create outstanding graphics and images.
Social media and mental health
It is very difficult for those that work within social media to unplug, when the expectation is that you are always plugged in. If I spend a day working on content research, graphics and scheduling, I am flat out exhausted. I don’t want to look at my phone and scroll my own social feeds.
When you feel like you’re always on, but your work is rarely – if ever – appreciated, you’re under-paid, and you feel like you’re constantly struggling to get buy-in from management, your mental health can take a hit.
So, here’s some of the things I have found to help me.
Setting boundaries
Boundaries are important. So whether that means keeping work social channels off of your personal phone,
Work smarter, not harder
We’ve been taught to work as hard as can be, and then some. As if that’s the only way to get ahead or to get your bosses appreciation. But it’s also a fast track to burnout and fatigue. And when you get to this point, your work output suffers along side your mental health.
So work smarter. I have a running daily to do list that I can always manipulate if I need to swap something out. Mainly when I have the motivation to write, I will adjust my list when needed.
I also do things in time blocks. So if I have a ton of social content to get created and scheduled, then i’ll break the social content creation into two blocks of time with a break in-between. I then do the same for the content scheduling, which involves marking off on my content calendar as the posts are scheduled.
If I have time to spare, I will sometimes get something else done, but otherwise I’ll get outside for a walk or a run.
I find I consistently have more energy throughout the week when I work in blocks of time.
Recognize your symptoms of burnout
Pay attention to how you’re feeling through the days, weeks, and months.
When do you feel negative? Lack of energy? Lack of motivation? Are you not sleeping well? Are you feeling isolated or isolating yourself? These are some key signs that you’re at the end of your rope and you need a break and/or help.
Normalize asking for help
Asking for help doesn’t make you weak or incapable of doing your job. Just because you can do it all absolutely does not mean you should.
Celebrate all your social wins
Reward yourself and your team with every social media win, no matter how big or small they may be. Every milestone reached should be celebrated, and let that energy flow through your team. You’ll bring that energy into your next campaign or goal, and everyone will feel more positive about the work they’ve done.
Don’t let vanity metrics get to you
Vanity metrics are the worst. THE WORST. Don’t get hung up – especially in the beginning – with follower counts. With consistent posting, and clear messaging, you’ll build your community over time.
Vanity metrics are helpful in measuring marketing goals that don’t correlate to a specific transaction such as brand awareness.
It’s easy to get hung up on the numbers that may not tie to a specific goal. Try focusing on the metrics that correlate to a transaction (such as downloading a long form PDF or guide) so you can see where conversions are coming from.
Ensure you’re planning content in advance
Planning content ideas in advance will help you immensely. If you need help in content planning, Taylor Loren who is a marketing strategist has a great course on content planning.
I try and do monthly planning for myself but I make note of fun holidays and mark them on the calendar for the entire year. I choose the fun days of the year that tie into running/fitness, food, marketing, and travel since those are my favourite things to talk about. Then I plan out my content for all my channels for the upcoming month.
I haven’t finished planning for July …and it’s the end of June. I will get it done – time blocked off on my calendar to get it done!
Incorporate curated content
Gain a broader reach by sharing content from others relevant to your industry. You get in front of their followers and their followers get in front of you. And people love to see collaboration instead of competition. Plus, this fills any holes you may have in your content calendar. Sharing content from others isn’t cheating – it’s a way to support others while also keeping you from losing your mind
Use a social scheduler
All I am going to say is that these tools are money well spent. You can try out various platforms for free but my two favourite are Hootsuite and Later. Both are local Vancouver companies, and as of right now, Later just earned a whole lot of brownie points for adding LinkedIn.
These platforms are constantly evolving so find one that works for you and don’t be afraid to change if something isn’t working or is missing that you need.
Digital detox day or weekend
Do anything except be on your phone/computer. Go for a super long hike, camping, time away where cell service is non-existent, or just hideout at home. Anything except social media or work.
Every summer, we go camping at least once and camping is my mental detox. There’s something about being in the fresh air, sometimes being able to have a campfire (there are often fire bans in this province to limit forest fires), and being able to do absolutely nothing that just helps clear my head and energizes me.
Find what works for you, but once you get past the anxiousness that is not touching your phone, your mental health will thank you.
Social Media Marketing Wrap Up
Social media marketers are making strides when it comes to showing the value of having a social media marketing strategy, but there is still lots of work to be done.
If you are an organization that has struggled to see the value in social media marketing, that’s OK! It can be difficult to incorporate additional strategies into your business/organization but the power of social media is only growing. Don’t get left in the dust. Need help? Let’s chat.
Love this! I graduated from BCIT’s marketing program and loved it. I recommend it. Marketing is so stressful so I’m not sure how much I want to go back into the industry but it sure is fun! I love event planning and coordination the most. Great post, Ashley x
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
I did the program at Langara but never finished my degree. I love the challenges of social media. Most of the time 😉
Focusing on the social and content side, to accent traditional marketing strategies is so much fun when there is buy-in from businesses.
Thanks for reading Lynn!