In the age of digital, one thing that seems to have both enchanted and baffled companies the most is social media and how to effectively use it. Social media is one of the top tools that should be in any company’s marketing tool box, and there are plenty of online marketing agencies offering their services in this area.
However, before you take the plunge, here is a guide to how social media can be used to create a buzz online:
Listening Carefully Is Key
Social media is a large conversation, and as with any form on conversation it is wise to listen to what is being discussed before diving in. So before a company starts posting on social media and trying to gain loyal followers and shares, it is imperative that they to listen to what your target audience are buzzing off currently.
There will be similar themes, opinions and tones recurring throughout the buzz, which will give some insight into the target audience and give an advantage. This can be used tailor your company’s social media voice to fit in with that of your target audience.
Be Professional with Personality
The key is in the name ‘social media’. It’s a place where people want to communicate and connect with other people, not brands. However, if your brand is seen to have a personality, it is far more accepted by the community.
Each company needs to find their own individual balance of brand and personality in their social media marketing, and it is advisable to seek the advice of online marketing agencies to help get this right.
Social Media Policies
Due to the fact that when a company posts on social media, they potentially reach millions of people globally, it can only take simple mistakes to severely damage or even completely ruin a reputation. If a business plans to encourage staff to have input into their social media channels, it is important to set out clear rules and guidelines.
Even if staff aren’t contributing directly to the company social media channels, things posted on their own social media could still impact. This is why you commonly see employees of companies stating that ‘their views are their own’ on personal social media accounts.
Measuring the Buzz
Measuring social media optimisation methods used to create a buzz and the substantial results (such as increased website traffic, etc) achieved from this is the key to the ongoing success of your brand’s social media presence.
By measuring these results you can isolate areas for improvement and aspects that worked well and can be increased or continued and areas that altogether flopped.
You can also look at the elusive results (such as positive associations with the brand, increased awareness, etc.) which cannot be defined or measured but can still be an indicator of how well the campaign has worked.
In summary, social media marketing is a cost effective and beneficial form of digital marketing that must be monitored carefully to ensure the right message is being conveyed.
With the help of online marketing services provided by UK agencies, many companies are able to discover the innumerable pros of having an active presence on social media.
