Think social media marketing is all about sharing content as soon as they go live? Think again.
If you want to establish a solid presence in social media networks, you need to realize that they’re more than just content distribution channels. They are communication platforms that enable brands — big and small — to connect with their audience in meaningful ways.
Sure, your diligence in sharing useful content from time to time will be greatly appreciated. But if you really want to earn your audience’s trust, you need to and be an active member of the community. You must respond to comments, react to other people’s posts, and answer questions whenever the opportunity arises.
To maximize brand awareness, you should also launch promotional marketing activities that will definitely generate buzz. No, I’m not talking about advertising campaigns. In this post, we’ll discuss strategies that actually deliver value to users.
Let’s begin.
1. Publish quizzes
Social media quizzes will not only help you engage your audience. By asking the right questions, it’s also a great way to extract insights and ideas that will help you improve your brand.
But before everything else, you must first identify your objective. Ask questions like: Do I need to generate subscribers for my mailing list, or do I want to bring more people to my blog?
Remember, executing any online strategy without a clear goal is like driving a car without a destination — it’s utterly pointless. That said, don’t forget to set goals for every other strategy included on this list.
Identifying your goal will also help you determine the platform you need for your quiz. For example, if you want to collect the email addresses of your audience, you can use a platform with email marketing integration like Interact. But if you simply want to raise brand awareness, you can use built-in apps like Quizzes for Pages on Facebook.
2. Launch giveaways
Here’s a quick fact: Social media users absolutely love free stuff. In fact, some of them are even willing to follow a page, spread a post, or even exchange their contact information for something that they’re not even particularly interested in.
Today, the easiest way to host a giveaway is through a tool like Rafflecopter. It allows you to create entry forms, interactive prize galleries, and polls — all without writing a single line of code. If you want, you can even have the platform randomly pick the winner for you.
Although a tool like Rafflecopter will surely cut the amount of work you need to do, you may also structure a giveaway contest without the help of a third-party tool. A simple Instagram hashtag contest, for example, allows you to decide the mechanics and pick the contest winners yourself with a quick hashtag search.
You can also launch a caption contest that merely requires them to write a witty description for a photo. Since the entries will be added as comments to your post, you should have no trouble looking for submissions and choosing the winners.
3. Spread promos through infographics
According to statistics, infographics can generate three times more engagement on social media than any other form of content. Not only can they capture the audience’s attention, visual content also makes in-depth information more digestible.
The most obvious way of using infographics is to feature them alongside full-length blog posts. This will invariably increase the value of your content, build your credibility as an information source, and improve the overall reading experience of your audience. With tools like Sumo Image Sharer, you can also encourage readers to share your infographic via social media.
Infographics are also perfect for promoting discounts and special offers. With an image editing tool like Canva, you can create the infographics and marketing materials without the help of a professional designer. Just create a free account and use the drag-and-drop editor to create your visual content.
4. Leverage seasonal campaigns
Sometimes, the success of your marketing boils down to your timing. Being aware of the best times to post on social media is a step in the right direction. But if you want something more impactful, you should consider launching a seasonal marketing campaign.
The first step is to identify a seasonal opportunity that is relevant to your target audience. Black Friday, in particular, is one of the best times to roll out your special offers and deals — given the fact that it marks the first day of the Christmas shopping season.
Fortunately, each year is loaded with seasonal opportunities that will help you catch your audience in a shopping mode. It’s only a matter of creating offers that also make sense for the event, be it on Mother’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, and so on.
5. Offer discounts to your online course
Creating your own, full-fledged online course is one of the best ways to solidify your credibility as an expert. With social media platforms, you can easily boost subscriptions to your online course by offering discounts to your followers.
To start creating and marketing your online course, you can leverage a “all in one” drag-and-drop platform like Kajabi where you can customize your materials, manage your subscribers, and review analytics — all in one place. It can also help you create coupon codes, which can then be shared through social media channels.
6. Turn followers into advocates
If there’s one thing that can win your audience’s trust on social media, it’s the positive review or recommendation of their peers. Studies show that 92% of consumers would trust user-generated content, such as social media posts and online reviews, over branded content and marketing materials.
There are several ways to accomplish this, but when it comes to efficiency, nothing beats automation. With the help of an email marketing platform like MailChimp, you can automate post-sale messages that requests customers for a quick review or rating.
Another popular tactic is to launch referral programs where customers receive incentives, like discounts or gift certificates, in exchange for spreading the word on your brand. With platforms like InviteBox or ReferralCandy, you can build a comprehensive referral program within a few clicks.
Final Words
Regardless of your niche, social media marketing can be a puzzle that has hundreds of different pieces. It’s up to you to find the right components that complete the whole picture.
Of course, there are a ton of other strategies you ought to try, from employee takeovers to broadcasting live videos. But when it comes to promoting your brand while offering great value to your audience, then the strategies outlined above are your best bet.
Thanks such amazing tips! I couldn’t agree more on the fact that giveaways are one of best ways to spread the name of brand. It makes people search about the brand name. It has worked like a charm for me in the past and i recommend people to use giveaways as a medium of communication with your audience.
Use of infographics is spreading wildly over the internet.It makes it easy for the data to be interpreted and that’s not all they save a hell lot time if you have accurate data. Infographics have helped me gain more customer in the recent years. Very thorough post though! Cheers.
Very well written post! I have had a lot problems with these competitions. I have used various social media platforms and I never got that much traffic, could you please provide me with some tips that would help me get some traffic.Thanks!
Nice post. Conducting competitions in regular intervals can always prove to be helpful and i have seen many major companies using these very tactics to market their product and services. Though it is not as easy as said. It takes a ton of time to organize this type competitions and furthermore it takes time to implement them in correct manner, though being a long term process the fruit received in the end is deserving.Thanks !
Love this! Thank you for sharing!