How to Use Social Media for Local Internet Marketing

Social media is a powerful tool for local businesses to connect with potential and current customers. By using social media effectively, businesses can increase brand awareness, drive traffic to their website, and generate leads and sales.

8 Steps to Use Social Media for Local Internet Marketing !

Engage your customers or followers, ask their opinions or questions about them and give them a sense of investment in your business.

  1. Start with a plan
  2. Know your audience
  3. Build relationships
  4. Share compelling visuals
  5. Focus on quality over quantity of posts / images
  6. Understand Where & When Is Your Audience Most Active?
  7. Offer Exclusive Deals
  8. Create Re-postable Content

Here are some tips on how to start with a social media plan:

  1. Set your goals. What do you want to achieve with your social media marketing? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads? Once you know your goals, you can start to develop a plan to achieve them.
  2. Choose the right platforms. Not all social media platforms are created equal. Some platforms are better suited for certain businesses than others. For example, if you’re a B2B company, LinkedIn might be a better platform for you than Instagram.
  3. Create high-quality content. People are more likely to engage with content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to them. Make sure your content is well-written, visually appealing, and relevant to your target audience.
  4. Be consistent. One of the best ways to build an audience on social media is to be consistent with your posting schedule. Post regularly, and make sure your content is high-quality and engaging.
  5. Engage with your audience. Social media is a two-way street. Don’t just share content and then disappear. Take the time to engage with your audience by responding to comments and questions. This will help you build relationships with your customers and create a sense of community around your brand.
  6. Track your results. It’s important to track the results of your social media marketing efforts so that you can see what’s working and what’s not. There are a number of tools that can help you track your social media results, such as Google Analytics and Hootsuite.

Here are some tips for using social media for local internet marketing:

  • Choose the right social media platforms: Not all social media platforms are created equal. Some platforms are better suited for certain businesses than others. For example, Facebook is a good platform for businesses that want to connect with a large audience, while Twitter is a good platform for businesses that want to share news and updates quickly.
  • Create high-quality content: The content you share on social media should be informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. Avoid sharing promotional content all the time, as this can turn people off. Instead, focus on sharing content that will provide value to your readers.
  • Use social media ads: Social media ads can be a great way to reach a wider audience and target your ads to specific demographics. When creating social media ads, be sure to target your ads to people who are likely to be interested in your business.
  • Engage with your audience: Social media is a two-way street. Don’t just share content and then disappear. Take the time to engage with your audience by responding to comments and questions. This will help you build relationships with your customers and create a sense of community around your brand.
  • Track your results: It’s important to track the results of your social media marketing efforts so that you can see what’s working and what’s not. There are a number of tools that can help you track your social media results, such as Google Analytics and Hootsuite.

Here are some tips for getting to know your audience:

Knowing your audience is essential for any social media marketing strategy. By understanding who you’re trying to reach, you can tailor your content and messaging to appeal to them. This will help you increase engagement, drive traffic to your website, and generate leads and sales.

  • Research your target market: Who are your ideal customers? What are their demographics? What are their interests and needs? You can use a variety of tools to research your target market, such as Google Analytics, social media analytics, and surveys.
  • Create buyer personas: Buyer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers. They can help you understand your customers’ needs, wants, and pain points. When creating buyer personas, be sure to include information about their demographics, interests, goals, and challenges.
  • Monitor your social media analytics: Social media analytics can provide you with valuable insights into your audience. This information can help you track your progress, identify trends, and make necessary adjustments to your strategy.
  • Engage with your audience: One of the best ways to get to know your audience is to engage with them on social media. Respond to comments and questions, participate in conversations, and share content that they will find interesting and valuable.

Here are some tips for building relationships on social media:

Building relationships on social media is essential for any business or individual who wants to be successful online. By building relationships, you can create a community of supporters who will be more likely to buy from you, share your content, and promote your brand.

  • Be yourself: People can spot a fake from a mile away, so it’s important to be yourself on social media. Share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and let your personality shine through.
  • Be consistent: One of the best ways to build relationships is to be consistent with your social media activity. Post regularly, and make sure your content is high-quality and engaging.
  • Be helpful: One of the best ways to show people that you care is to be helpful. Answer questions, offer advice, and share resources that your followers will find valuable.
  • Be positive: People are drawn to positive people, so make sure your social media presence is upbeat and positive. Share positive stories, and focus on the good things in life.
  • Be active: Don’t just sit back and wait for people to come to you. Get involved in conversations, participate in challenges, and reach out to new people.

Here are some tips for sharing compelling visuals on social media:

  • Use high-quality images and videos: People are more likely to engage with content that is visually appealing. Make sure your images and videos are high-resolution and well-lit.
  • Keep your visuals consistent with your brand: Your visuals should be consistent with your brand’s colors, fonts, and overall style. This will help create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity.
  • Use visuals to tell a story: Visuals are a great way to tell stories and connect with your audience on an emotional level. Use visuals to show, not tell, your audience what you’re trying to say.
  • Use visuals to break up text: Text-heavy posts can be overwhelming and difficult to read. Use visuals to break up your text and make your posts more visually appealing.
  • Use visuals to promote your content: Visuals are a great way to promote your content and drive traffic to your website or blog. Use visuals to share blog posts, product announcements, and other important content.

It’s better to post high-quality content less often than to post low-quality content more often. Here are some reasons why:

  • People are more likely to engage with high-quality content. They’re more likely to like, comment, and share it.
  • High-quality content is more likely to be seen by more people. Social media algorithms tend to favor high-quality content.
  • High-quality content builds trust and credibility. When people see that you’re posting high-quality content, they’re more likely to trust you and do business with you.

Here are some tips on how to understand where and when your audience is most active on social media:

  • Use social media analytics. Most social media platforms offer analytics tools that can help you track your audience’s activity. This information can tell you when your audience is most active, what type of content they’re most interested in, and where they’re coming from.
  • Ask your audience. You can also ask your audience directly when they’re most active on social media. You can do this by sending out a survey, creating a poll, or simply asking them in a comment or post.
  • Use social media listening tools. There are a number of social media listening tools that can help you track what people are saying about your brand on social media. This information can give you insights into your audience’s interests and needs, as well as when they’re most likely to be talking about you.

Here are some tips on how to offer exclusive deals for social media:

  • Create a sense of urgency. People are more likely to take action when they feel like they’re missing out on something. You can create a sense of urgency by offering limited-time deals or discounts.
  • Make it easy to redeem the deal. The easier it is for people to redeem the deal, the more likely they are to do it. You can make it easy to redeem the deal by providing clear instructions and a link to the deal.
  • Promote the deal on social media. Make sure to promote the deal on your social media channels so that your followers can see it. You can promote the deal by creating a post, running an ad, or using a hashtag.
  • Track the results of the deal. It’s important to track the results of the deal so that you can see how it’s performing. You can track the results of the deal by using social media analytics tools.

By following these tips, you can offer exclusive deals for social media that will help you increase engagement and sales.

Here are some additional tips:

  • Make the deal relevant to your audience. The more relevant the deal is to your audience, the more likely they are to take advantage of it.
  • Test different types of deals. There are a variety of different types of deals that you can offer. Test different types of deals to see what works best for your business and your audience.
  • Be creative with your deals. The more creative you are with your deals, the more likely people are to notice them and take advantage of them.
  • Have fun with it! Offering exclusive deals is a great way to engage with your audience and build excitement around your brand. So, have fun with it and let your creativity shine through.

Here are some tips on how to create re-postable content for social media:

  • Make it visually appealing. People are more likely to engage with content that is visually appealing. Use high-quality images, videos, and infographics to make your content stand out.
  • Keep it short and sweet. People are more likely to read and share content that is short and to the point. Get to the point quickly and avoid using jargon or technical language.
  • Use strong visuals. Visuals are a great way to capture attention and break up text-heavy posts. Use images, videos, and infographics to make your content more engaging.
  • Ask questions. Asking questions is a great way to start a conversation and get people involved. Ask questions that are relevant to your audience and that will encourage them to share their thoughts and opinions.
  • Use humor. Humor is a great way to connect with people and make your content more memorable. Use humor sparingly, however, as too much humor can be off-putting.
  • Be yourself. People are more likely to connect with content that is authentic and genuine. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Be yourself and let your personality shine through in your content.
  • Be consistent. The more consistent you are with your social media posting, the more likely people are to follow you and engage with your content. Try to post at least once a day, and make sure your content is high-quality and engaging.
  • Use relevant hashtags. Hashtags are a great way to get your content seen by more people. Use relevant hashtags that are related to your industry and your target audience.
  • Promote your content. Don’t just post your content and then forget about it. Promote your content on other social media platforms, in your email newsletter, and on your website.

By following these tips, you can create re-postable content for social media that will help you engage with your audience and grow your following.

Social Media News: Tweets, Likes, and +1s: Do They Matter?

Summary of the Article

Most current metrics on the success of social media marketing fall short, Cespedes says, because they focus on activity such as tweets, “likes,” reviews …

Article

CFOs: it’s time to expect more from social media and demand proof that there is a return on investment.

So says Harvard Business School senior lecturer Frank Cespedes, who Tuesday penned a column, “Is social media actually helping your company’s bottom line?” on the Harvard Business Review web site.

Most current metrics on the success of social media marketing fall short, Cespedes says, because they focus on activity such as tweets, “likes,” reviews, and click-through-rates, and not “tangible marketplace outcomes,” such as whether an ad campaign actually led to more items sold.

Culled From

first published: 2015-03-03 15:11:15