Social media marketing has taken over the internet. Whether you’re an established business owner, or someone who is looking to start your own business, you’ve likely heard the term "social media marketing." But, what really is social media marketing? How does it work? And… Can we explain it in as close to plain English as possible?

We can!

Social media use by businesses is all about building strong relationships with prospects and followers, that will help you create new opportunities for your brand. In this post, we will discuss the things you really need to know about social media marketing and the secret-sauce of truly connecting with your business’s social media followers. 

What Is Social Media Marketing?   

Social media marketing is the process of creating and promoting content on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok,  LinkedIn, etc) to engage with your audience and drive traffic to your website or location to learn more. The idea is to create meaningful conversations that connect you, your brand, and your business with people interested in what you have to offer. Leveraging social media enables you to increase your brand's visibility, reputation and ultimately, sales. 

Your business page posts provide audiences with valuable content, making it easy for people to learn more about what you offer. Call To Actions (CTAs) are used to lead viewers through a journey, developing trust through engaging content to learn more about how your product or service can solve a problem, need or want that they have. 

The goal is to initiate meaningful conversations and grow relationships by offering a little humor, fun, and always, always, ALWAYS provide value that’s relevant to the needs and preferences of your followers. In short, we never want to post just to post!

How Does Social Media Marketing Work?   

Social media marketing works best by creating an online presence on one or more platforms where your key audiences spend time. Understanding your business’ goals and developing high-quality, engaging content to share organically with your followers, paired with paid social media advertising is a great way to reach both existing and new audiences with meaningful and entertaining content.

Each platform has its own set of unique audience preferences, which requires businesses to tailor their content based on how the platform is used. The idea is to create and promote engaging content with images, text, and videos that are shareable and will attract likes, comments and other forms of engagement from viewers. Leveraging both aspects allows you to connect with existing followers and tap into new markets to help you grow your business. Algorithms are working behind the scenes to show your content to more and more people.

Why Is Social Media Marketing Helpful?   

From a business perspective, the most valuable aspect of social media marketing is that it provides a way to engage with your target audience when you otherwise may not have the opportunity. It is also a way for viewers and followers to learn about your brand and business without feeling like you are intentionally trying to sell them something. Good social media marketing is an opportunity to develop true trust and credibility, and when the time is right, this engagement may lead to a new customer and/or a business partnership. 

One aspect of social media marketing that we love the most is the immense amount of data available on each social platform. This data allows us to learn more about our engaged audience, which can be used to continue creating and sharing relevant, interesting and fun information, as well as determining what you can do to expand the audience you are looking to get your brand in front of.

How Social Media Marketing Can Make or Break a Business

A business's social media presence can make or break a business based on how it is executed. If our efforts are not cohesive and working towards an enjoyable conversation with our viewers, well-intended posts may have the opposite effect than intended. On the flip side, when campaigns are well-designed, targeted, and relevant to your audience's needs, they are highly effective in generating long-term loyalty and revenue for your business.

Take note, though, social media marketing is an investment. People typically need exposure to relevant brands and businesses multiple times prior to spending their hard earned money on a product or service. Think of your social media presence as a relationship, a friendship, or an acquaintance. Whether we like spending time with one another is entirely dependent on how we engage with, talk with, and spend time with the other person. It takes time, and true effort, to build long lasting connections and relationships with your followers. This does not happen overnight, and will take weeks, months, and sometimes longer for viewers to take action, depending on the offer. The key to success is consistency, personality and showing that you are a brand worth having a connection with.

Conclusion

Here it is! In as close to plain English as we can muster. Social Media Marketing is an effective way to create connections with people, more precisely- prospects and customers, and showcase your brand's presence on social media. It has become an indispensable tool for businesses of all sizes to fulfill marketing needs to gain  the visibility needed to succeed and grow. 

By shifting how you think about engaging with your online audiences, it is absolutely possible to create a solid strategy that helps you connect with others, and represent your business extremely well. Remember, social media success is not achieved overnight, but rather it is a journey that will require patience, persistence, and consistent effort. Just like the best friendships and relationships! 

TIP FOR THE WEEK: Consider how you’re currently engaging with your followers on social media. Are changes needed to truly connect?

COMING NEXT WEEK: The Top 5 Things Social Media Users Crave from Businesses! (hint: it may not be what you think!)

When you’re ready, here are 3 ways to learn more about us, and how we can help:

1. Learn more about Heather & Aly and how and why Green Mountain Social came to be here.

2. Curious about our services? Read more here.

3. Schedule a free strategy session with us. We will take a look at your website and social profiles come prepared with feedback and tips to improve your online and social presence!