Social media marketing: Six expert tips
Social media marketing is now a standard part of communication strategies. But here, too, a few principles must be observed if you want to be successful. We show you the most important do's and don'ts.
It is no longer possible to imagine communication strategies without social media. Used correctly, social networks can offer real added value, such as attracting new target groups and increasing sales. The experts from Germany's leading online marketing agency SEO Kitchen present the do's and don'ts for successful social media marketing.
Create unique and snackable content
Unique content tailored to the target group is the basis of successful social media marketing. Successful content communicates at eye level and reflects the company's values. This includes stories told on a personal level as well as insights "behind the scenes". "Snackable" means quick and easy to communicate - content should be designed so followers can consume it on the way to work on the train or during their lunch break. Short videos, engaging infographics, and emotional or humorous images and quotes are best for this. Entertainment often takes precedence over knowledge transfer. Nevertheless, informative content should also be generated. A good mix forms the basis of a loyal following. The creation of unique content also includes the use of branding elements such as colors, fonts and logos, as well as a distinctive visual language with recognition value.
Social media marketing means: differentiated processing of various channels
Playing on all social media channels with identical content saves time, but quickly gives followers the impression of spam. This can lead to users unfollowing the account. To give users an incentive to follow the company on multiple channels, individual content should be shared that matches the medium. Differentiation begins, for example, with the approach. While Facebook and Instagram often have a "you" culture, a "you" approach may be more appropriate on LinkedIn.
Establish sustainable posting frequency
Finding and maintaining a sustainable posting frequency is one of the most important aspects of successful social media marketing. While the standard golden rule is that at least one post per day is necessary for long-term success, it is much more important to set a frequency that can be reliably maintained over the long term. This can be as little as two posts per week. The prerequisite, however, is to adhere to this schedule on a weekly basis. Facebook itself offers its own tools with extensive functions with Facebook Analytics and the Facebook Business Manager. Third-party social media tools such as Hootsuite and Buffer also help take a lot of the work away. Thanks to these tools, posts can be pre-scheduled and automatically published at the desired time. In addition, the tools provide important insights to see at what times posts should be published to reach particularly many users.
Actively involve the community
For users to interact with a profile's content, they need to be actively prompted. The easiest way to find out what followers want to see is to ask them. For feed posts, the image description provides a way to ask questions that users can respond to in the comments. Stories also offer various ways to interact with users. These range from individual question stickers to polls and quizzes.
Fast response and interaction
Social media thrive on speed. Prompt reactions - to both positive and negative comments and messages - create a competent impression. Those who take the time to interact with followers are rewarded with likability points. A study by Hootsuite confirms: half of all customers expect a response within an hour or less - even on weekends. In the case of complaints, it's as much as 83 % of respondents. In the event of harsh criticism or shitstorms, the key is to stay calm. Many companies and individuals have proven that real added value can be generated even from massive criticism. A quick response and communication at eye level play an important role here.
Source: SEO Kitchen
