How to Effectively Market on Social Media

Social media is a very unique form of marketing because it exists inside the lives of your consumers. If they follow you, by default, you follow them. What could be better than that? Social media can be a cost-effective marketing platform that builds followers, creates brand loyalty, and engages consumers.

Here are five traits of successful social media marketing so you can get the most out of your social media platforms.

Start a conversation.

Speaking of conversations, make sure you start some. That’s why you’re on social media, right? Interact with consumers, generate brand awareness among potential customers and get people to talk about your product, service or industry. If you see some negative replies, look at it as an opportunity. Your responses can establish who you are as a company and transform your followers into true fans.

Treat your followers like customers.

Your social media followers are more than just a number, they’re digital customers with a powerful voice the whole world can see. Respond to their comments—whether they’re positive or negative. Thoughtful interaction goes a long way and can create lasting brand loyalty.

Images, images, images.

More and more, people prefer to receive information through visuals. Images are easier to digest for customers when they are on-the-go. As a result, images generate more clicks, more likes, and more shares. If you’re absolutely dead-set on sharing a large amount of copy, try to place content on top of images.

Calls to action are key.

You don’t just want to engage your following, you want them to click through. Create a call-to-action (CTA) that will motivate your followers to click your link, try your product or check out what you have to share. CTAs result in a higher follower-to-customer conversion rate and increased brand loyalty.

Timing is part of the strategy.

Posting to your social media outlets should be a regular activity, at least daily.  But there’s more to it than that. When you post is even more important than how much you post.

The “when” depends on who your audience is, what social media channels you’re using and what kind of information you’re sharing. For example, professionals are online at different times than teenagers, and they are more likely to click a link in the evening. They’ll also probably be on LinkedIn during the day and Facebook at night.