Social media has become indispensable for most people. And that no longer only affects young people because every age group is now represented on social media. There are therefore many different target groups on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Xing. This fact has great potential for companies. Therefore, in this blog post, we would like to bring you closer to how you can use social media marketing. In this context, we go into possible lines, methods, and risks. Here we go!
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing is a type of online marketing that uses social media for marketing purposes. This type of marketing differs from the private use of social media. Private individuals use them primarily for networking with friends and publishing their experiences. However, social media marketing is a strategic course of action that works directly or indirectly towards the economic success of a company.
Companies can address new customers, existing customers, or interested parties who have already had contact with the brand through the widespread use of social networks worldwide. Compared to print, radio, and television advertising, social media offers the following advantages: Targeting possibilities! This enables you to address relevant target groups in a targeted manner. This is how you play the advertising game with users who have real added value for you.
Goals of social media marketing
Before you start with social media marketing, you should set yourself goals that you want to achieve with appropriate marketing measures and ultimately measure them. But what goals can you achieve with social media marketing?
- increase in range
An important goal could be to increase the range. Whether B2C or B2B, social media has become a place where customers communicate with the companies of their choice. By providing clever content and ongoing interaction, your own reach can be increased.
- lead generation
You can use social networks to collect contacts that may become important in the future, even if you are not yet willing to buy.
- sale
Social media is suitable for inspiring people with your products and ultimately convincing them to buy them. You can also offer some kind of help and, for example, offer a solution with your product in a post that the user was looking for.
- Customer care and customer retention
Since many people use social media to connect with businesses, you have the opportunity to provide exceptional customer service. This should be an important goal of your social media marketing, as there is a great return on investment in it. In this way, you can also bind customers to you so that they continue to buy more products in the future.
- Employer branding and image building
In order to reach new applicants, you can provide an authentic insight into the corporate culture through social networks. You also have the opportunity to communicate your image and show who is behind your company.
methods in social media marketing
- Owned Media
This method involves your own media, i.e., your own YouTube channel or Facebook page. You must create the content yourself and be responsible for it. However, the reach is limited to your own followers and fans.
- Paid Media
If you don’t yet have a large number of followers and fans, or if the followers don’t look at the content, you can help with paid So you would use social media as an advertising platform and place Facebook ads and Instagram ads, for example. You can achieve a lot with a small budget and simple means.
- Earned Media
With this method, you let people talk well about you, or you have developed a very good reputation over time, so that users voluntarily speak well of you. This can be a positive review or a link to your product. Paid advertising via influencers is also part of this method.
Risks in social media marketing
Social media marketing offers the advantage that it is cheaper than conventional marketing and that new content can be communicated quickly and efficiently. In addition, success can be measured well, and a broad target audience is addressed. But despite these advantages, there are also risks and disadvantages that you have to take into account.
Due to the large amount of information that is transported daily on social media, you, as a company, can run the risk of simply going under. In addition, this type of marketing requires daily work and regular updates. Another problem is data protection and copyright. Data protection law requires restrictive measures, and, in the worst case, you may face criminal penalties. With regard to copyright, you must be careful about what image or video material you publish on the Internet.
A so-called shitstorm should not be underestimated either. A few dissatisfied users venting their anger on the social network can cause significant problems. With an understanding of communication and an attempt to solve the problem in the long term, you can appease these users and counteract the crisis.
Conclusion
Social media marketing has become an important part of online marketing in recent years, and for good reason. It offers many opportunities to win new customers or build a brand. What goals you pursue in the end are, of course, up to you. In order to avoid the danger of getting lost in the wealth of information or the other risks that still lurk here, you should set clear goals and develop a strategy.
If you need help or have questions about social media marketing, feel free to contact us for a free initial consultation. We look forward to hearing from you!
