Contrary to popular belief….
…social media marketing is more of a science than an art. Don’t get me wrong, the aesthetic pictures on Instagram and the subtlety and nuance of a viral video are definitely works of art, but there is more analytical reasoning backing up social media strategy than you may realize.
Don’t believe me?
Let’s dive into the web of targeted social media campaigns.
Here’s the tea:
Social media allows us to reach target audiences in personalized, strategic, engaging ways. Now, like never before, customers can react, share, and question the content they are seeing. The beauty of targeted social media campaigns is that you can target potential buys and sellers with campaigns that work alongside your other marketing campaigns. And while generating buzz is exciting, the real spectacle is getting the right content in front of the right people at the right time.
So, in the vastness of the world wide web, where do you start?
Here are 3 tips to help you maximize targeted social media campaigns.
1. Know your audience In order to know where on the internet to go, you first need to really understand your ideal audience. So, who are they? I don’t just mean their demographic information (although that should be combined later so you are targeting the right places). I mean: What do they dream about? What do they fear? What do they need? Who do they aspire to be? Who inspires them to grow? How do they behave? How do they make decisions? Once you can answer these questions, you’ll be able to more easily see which social media platforms your audience is likely using, and your demographic information will look less like numbers and more like real customers!
Here's an easy test: if you don’t know your audience as well as you know your best friend, ask more questions.
2. Know what you want to accomplish There are different ways to use social media platforms in order to accomplish different goals. Chances are your audience is diverse. So, you may need to create distinct goals for different subsections of your audience. For example, if you are a hardware store, you may pinpoint families in the area that are interested in home improvement projects. For them, your campaign goal may be to increase audience engagement. So, develop a series of family DIY events and promote them on Twitter and Instagram. However, you may also want to target businesses or commercial buildings with maintenance needs. For them, your goal may be brand awareness, so you start posting business materials on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Here’s my point: you need to have clearly defined marketing goals, so you know who to target, how to target, and what to measure as you look for signs of success.
3. Know your capacity Targeted social media campaigns require authentic, creative, engaging content that not only represents and supports your brand but is interesting and useful to your audience. You want them to be excited for your content and eager to be your customer. This is a commitment to content curation and consistent positive interactions. Posting randomly on social media might make it look like you have a presence, but targeted social media campaigns are about reaching your ideal audience with content that actually matters across platforms.
Lindy Chaffin Start is principal and creative director at Unstoppable Start Studios based in Atlanta, Georgia. She contributes her knowing and talents as a marketer to small businesses across the country and listeners around the world.
To learn more about social media campaigns and strategy, contact us.