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A simple guide to social media marketing

Many business owners are aware of the fact that popular social media (SM) websites can send them high quality leads, so they create Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts, and then they start posting content. Still, by doing this, some of them will actually harm their business' online marketing efforts! Fortunately, this guide will show what needs to be done to set up an effective social media marketing plan. Because a well-executed SM campaign can greatly improve the ROI for 56% of business owners, according to MDG Advertising.

Most entrepreneurs utilize social media to promote their products and/or services, spamming their fans and followers with "special offers" all day long. However, if you want to do the right thing, you will have to connect to your potential customers in a meaningful way. You wouldn't walk into a room and ask unknown people to purchase your products, right? It's the same with SM; first, you will have to listen to your fans, engage with them, and gain their trust by providing tremendous value. Then, once that those people love you, they will start purchasing stuff from you.

It goes without saying that social media provides many other benefits besides increased sales. I am talking about brand recognition, for example. People tent to buy from brands that they know and love, and SM gives you the opportunity to show them that behind your company there are real people, who have authentic, loveable personalities.

By sharing industry-related content, people will start to perceive you as an authoritative voice. Yes, you can become an authority in your industry by simply sharing high quality content, no matter if it was created by you or not. Be sure to create original content every now and then, of course.

Several companies use social media channels to provide effective customer support services; this makes it easier for people to get the needed responses fast, because their communication with the company is public.

I could list many more reasons why having a SM presence is mandatory, but I think that you have gotten the picture. So, how can you create an effective SM marketing plan? The first step is to understand what your targeted audience wants. Then, it will be much easier to create the type of content that they love.

To initiate the process, use the SM site's search button, and look for trending hashtags in your industry. Then, use them to create and/or borrow relevant articles, infographics, GIFs, etc. Not all social media sites are created equal, of course. Some of them were developed especially for business owners, while others were built with teenagers in mind. So, it makes a lot of sense to consider user demographics when you decide to focus your marketing efforts on a particular social media website.

Okay, so you have identified the best social media sites for your goals, and you know what type of content should be posted. What's next? The answer is simple: create high-quality content on a regular basis. I know I've told you to share other people's content as well, but you want to use SM to give your company a voice, and not necessarily to promote other companies, right?

Videos are very popular right now, and it looks like things won't change too much in the near future. So, invest in good video recording equipment, and then create movies that showcase company products, events, and more. This doesn't mean that you should only creates videos, of course. People continue to love infographics, for example – especially the animated ones!

As you can see, creating a SM plan take time. However, if it's done properly, it can help your business grow significantly. Don't forget that we are here to help, in case that you plan to outsource your social media marketing.