Social Media Marketing 101: Beginner’s Guide, Tips, and Tricks

As more and more people are actively present on social media, it has become imperative for businesses, individuals, and organizations to use the momentum and get on board. Many of your potential customers are already getting in touch with other companies and maybe even with your competitors. So, in the following paragraphs, we’ll lay out all the basics including professional tips and tricks for getting started and your growth. Read carefully and make sure you take some notes along the way!

Defining Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Numerous definitions regarding SMM exist online. However, they all boil down to a few key elements. It’s a type of internet marketing that involves being active and posting content on social media platforms to fulfill your marketing as well as brand goals. These goals are close to infinite and vary from one entity to the next. They can be something from promoting a new product and service to acquiring new leads, making brand ambassadors, spreading the word, and more. And it’s been proven that social media can help you towards becoming successful in these goals. Posting textual and visual content like images and videos, sharing existing ones, and even paid ads on a social media channel are all just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the activities that encompass social media marketing.

The Best Social Media Platforms Right Now

It seems like a new social media platform is popping up daily. That’s why compiled a shortlist of a few platforms that dominate the game and are worth committing to:

• Facebook – It’s not a coincidence that it still holds the title of the social media king. The number of users is insane there! You need to create a business page if you’re having a business. Keep in mind that being visual and compelling is a must on this platform. Also, you can maintain the language at a semi-formal or informal level.
• Instagram – This platform is maybe the most popular one right now. Especially when it comes to youngsters. It’s a visual-only platform, so you’re only allowed to post images and videos. Hashtags and stories are useful tools for attracting a wider audience.
• Twitter – It’s all about conversations and communication here. And in just a few characters. Try to be news-worthy, offer discounts, and come up with tweets that will promote your brand. It’s important to stand out as you’ll find plenty of users who will potentially be interested in what you do.
• YouTube–If you ask for a synonym for the word ‘video’, it’s, of course, YouTube. Businesses, as well as individuals, use this platform for uploading videos related to their work. As becoming a viral hit may not be the easiest option, try your hand at informative videos and how-tos.
• Notable Mentions – Here we’ll list LinkedIn, SoundCloud, Pinterest, Tumblr, Reddit, Yelp, TikTok, and more. All of these are more industry-specific but are worthy of trying your luck there. For instance, LinkedIn is for professionals, SoundCloud is for musicians, Yelp is a location-based platform.

Tips and Tricks to Get You Started

With a crowd of other individuals and businesses trying to get the attention of users, you need to familiarize yourself with some basic tips so that you don’t go into the deep waters on social media unprepared. Once you get the hang of it, all of it will come naturally to you.

Social Media Plan

You shouldn’t post randomly and without context or reason. That’s why knowing your next steps on a social media platform is crucial. Start your plan by picking the platforms where you’ll create profiles and be active. Then, it’s time for some keyword research. Implement industry-popular keywords so that you stick out from the crowd. Since those keywords are popular, it means that people love them and expect them from a professional brand. Before you start with the content, determine your target audience. Craft interesting posts isn’t the same for students, employed users, retirees, and similar. For that reason, you have to be as specific as possible. After that, it’s time for brainstorming content ideas. A pro tip is to set benchmark accounts in your field. Closely follow what they post and what works for them.

Content

We ended the social media planning with content. Content is the output of all your social media efforts. And it will be what draws in users, leads, and hopefully customers. Make sure that you post frequently and use all of the tools that a particular platform gives you. Photos, videos, infographics, how-to posts, posts about current events are just some ideas you can think about and further develop.

Engagement

It will be all be in vain if no one sees the posts or interacts with them. So, getting engagement from users is another thing to pay attention to. Liking and commenting on other profiles which are relevant to you is a step forward.

Analytics

To determine if you’re successful or not at social media, you need to track data. Tools like Google Analytics can help a great deal for that.

Features to Look For in Service Providers

Often doing social media marketing all on your own is too much trouble for some. That’s why there are a plethora of legitimate companies that do it all for you. The first reseller panel users go to depends, among other things, on the variety of services. The more is better. However, check out the reviews and testimonials to see how good the service provider is at them. What’s more, the company should have a user-friendly website. That way people can easily find their way around and find out everything that interests them. In the world of SMM, sometimes it’s very important to have 24/7 customer support, too. All of your questions will be answered and dealt with. You know you’re dealing with a reputable company if the company delivers swiftly. Minutes and even seconds for your order to be processed means a lot if you have already plenty of stuff on your plate.

Over to You…

What do you think? Do you have experience with social media marketing? If yes, we’d like to hear all about that!