Social Marketing Insights: 4 Smart Tips for Small Business Owners

According to a Social Media Examiner Report, 92% of marketers feel that social media is essential to their businesses, yet only 83% are concerned about the best course of action when targeting their customers and prospects. Knowing these numbers, you may be wondering if you can use social media effectively to bring in conversions. While there is no fail-proof guide to amassing thousands of likes, driving traffic to your website, and increasing conversions, these four expert social marketing insights can help you get on the fast track:

Choose the right social media channel for your brand. It’s actually ill-advised to be on all social media channels. Some marketers are very eager to do so at first, only to leave some accounts inactive later on. This creates a poor impression of the business. According to Business2Community.com (@B2Community), the key is to focus your efforts on a few social media channels—the ones your target audience frequents the most and where your brand can flourish.

Set a target. You’ll know if social media is working for you if you track your numbers against a definite target. Use analytical tools to measure the number of followers you lose and gain and determine which aspects of your content they’re more interested in. An example of this is Twitter’s The Archivist, a tool that lets you track hashtag campaigns and business mentions, as well as how your audience found you.

Automate some tasks. Effective social media marketing basically requires engaging with audiences on a more “human” level. However, there are more important things you have to focus on over monitoring social media real-time—such as producing great content. Automating some repetitive tasks can save you a great deal of time. Forbes.com (@Forbes) suggests you automate the following:

Following people back when they follow you
Retweeting interesting messages on Twitter
Mentioning other users in your message
Responding to direct messages
Automating posts from another expert’s website
Posting to LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook from another network

Follow the Pareto Principle. When it comes to sharing content, how many should come from the industry? How many should be about your business? Experts suggest the 80/20 rule: 80% industry tips and 20% business updates. You should become a reliable news source first to attract attention and establish trust. Refrain from posting too many company updates, or coupons and promotions—especially if you don’t have a good grip on your audience yet. Most importantly, strive to make your posts engaging and fun.

Social media is undeniably a gold mine of prospects and leads, but to attract these effectively requires some strategizing. Follow the abovementioned tips and watch your numbers soar. For more social marketing news and updates, check out trusted digital marketing portals like Marketing Digest.

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Howard Tiano

CEO at ClickZLocal

Howard Tiano has been an entrepreneur since his college days, and has created successful businesses in fields such as photography, real estate, music and entertainment and more recently, in digital marketing since 2009 with his flagship company ClickZLocal.
"I know firsthand how challenging it can be to grow a successful business, and have made it my mission to help other businesses grow by using cutting-edge technology, testing and tracking, and applying time-tested principles customized to the goals and objectives of the businesses I consult with. THEIR success is MY success."

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