One of the most effective ways to target an audience is
through social media. Whether for a product, an event, or an idea, utilizing
this medium can lead to an engaged audience, which can then increase the number
of followers and likes to the business’ social media pages. This can then turn
your social media fans into loyal customers who can help influence future brand
awareness for the company. But where do you start?
1.
Figure
out what your goal is
While it is important to provide customers
and followers with relevant information, establishing a goal can provide a
clear pathway to how you will lead the campaign. Is it to gain more exposure
for your brand? Is it to promote a new product or service? Define how your
social media outreach will provide the most value to your customers.
2.
Determine
which social media platform(s) you will use
Facebook and Twitter are the most obvious
choices, but depending on what your goal is and who your audience is, you don’t
need to utilize every single account you have. It may also be helpful to start
the campaign on a blogging platform, where you will have more room to explain
the campaign, and then link to your social media pages. This increases a
company’s web presence, which can in turn increase your social media presence.
3.
Figure
out who your target audience will be
This is especially key for small and
medium-sized companies. By targeting to a smaller group (plus-size fashion
bloggers, for example), companies can monitor keywords and phrases of the brand
or idea and customize the content to that audience.
4.
Analyze
how you will measure the campaign mentions
Entrepreneur.com names
Mention, a program that lets users track mentions of their brand across Facebook,
Twitter, RSS and the web, and Tagboard, which monitors hashtags on the above
platforms as well as Instagram, Vine and Google+, as two software programs that
monitor social media engagement. Google Analytics is also a fairly easy program
to use for website traffic and SEO.
5.
Start
with a contest or special offer
One of the easiest ways to gain new
customers is to start with a special offer or discount.
If a business is announcing a new product or service (for example, a free
eyebrow wax for a new spa), consider announcing the contest on one platform and
having a customer “like” the brand’s Facebook page or follow on Twitter in
order to secure an entry. This not only drives traffic to your social media sites,
but also engages
fans and followers along the way.
6.
Vary
the content on each social media page
The most important thing for a successful
social media campaign is the content itself. Finding and sharing content with
followers is an easy way to build interest in a brand or business. However, it
is important to tailor the content based on the audience and the social media
platform you use in order for them to understand the message you are going for.
Be sure to stagger your
posts consistently throughout the day, as your customers likely check their
social media pages at different times of the day.
7.
Analyze
your content as a conversation
Social media allows clients and consumers to
have a conversation. If customers provide a positive mention to a brand on
social media, brand advocates should acknowledge this and build on the
relationship. It lets customers know you are listening and value their business.
Ask questions and encourage responders to reply with a specific hashtag to keep
the conversation flowing and track the brand mentions.
Let us know how you are using these channels to communicate with your brand audience.
