Guidelines for Social Media Marketing and Advertising

Social media changed everything, especially  in communication and advertising. Before, traditional media was the only way increase customer visibility, but now, almost everything can be done online, and digital marketing through social media is more dominant than ever before.

Social media became a gold mine for advertising and with more and more people signing up every day, it can be overwhelming for business owners, entrepreneurs, and even marketers themselves on what to focus on. 

 

That’s why here are some tips on how to navigate social media when it comes to your business.

 

        1. Focus on your customers

  

        A lot of businesses are so keen on getting that large number of likes, shares, and retweets that it becomes more about the business rather than the customer. So maybe this time,  flip the switch. Instead of focusing on the business, how about creating content that is geared towards your target demographic. Create content that focuses more on creating a connection with the customer, rather than what the owners want or like. Have something that provides entertainment or value. Plus points if it’s both entertaining and informative at the same time.

        Almost every customer online has seen it all and they are getting savvier and savvier when it comes to filtering out what’s been done before. So the only way to completely stands out is to create contents that remind them of something, maybe from the past or something from their life experiences. Play with your customer’s likes and dislikes. Keep them engaged and work with their aspirations or help them get over their fears. Of course, this is easier said than done. There are many ways to go around this idea, but the number one trick to completely nail it is to essentially craft on what is your ideal customer. An avatar is the representation of all of the best qualities that you want in a customer.

               

2. Stats Don’t Lie

                Every social media platform has its own metrics and analytics, and it’s getting more and more sophisticated every day. Even smartphones have their own metrics and analytics. Numbers aren’t sexy but they don’t lie.  Taking time to study and learn about each platform’s metrics and analytics is a game-changer for business owners and entrepreneurs. It tells what strategies work, doesn’t work. It can even tell you what are vanity metrics. At first, it can be overwhelming because of the amount of information that is readily available. But take some time and start with small. Metrics and analytics can certainly help refine your businesses’ social media strategies which can lead to getting more out of your content. To know more about metrics and analytics, maybe learn more about the 80/20 principle. Which in hindsight,  tells you to focus on the 20% or the top 20% that gives you 80% of your returns. So focus your energy on that 20%. Find what works and then pour the majority of your time, resources, and energy into what works best. 

 

3. Quality in Quantity

               Too much thinking can kill you. Almost every business owner or entrepreneur isn’t immune to this kind of thinking. It’s like planning for a zombie apocalypse. Where every survival tactic is scrutinized, every weapon is studied for its effectiveness, every route is mapped out, only to end up being eaten after the first few days. In theory, planning and formulating strategies is good at least gives you a rough idea. After all, some are only given one shot to shine so planning is crucial. But when it starts to hinder content creation, then it’s not worth it. No matter how stringent business owners or entrepreneurs are with their strategy, it’s not foolproof. A lot of things can happen. So it’s better to take a chance and just go for it. Continue with creating content, whether it is bad or good,  until such time that the goodwill outshines the bad.

 

 4. What You Sow is What You Reap

 

                This means take some time to invest in skills, education, and talent. On top of what is already proven knowledge and strategies. Always be open to learning new skills and be open to new information. Social media, marketing, and advertising is always changing. What works now, may not work in the future. So it’s best for business owners and entrepreneurs to always be open to trying out new concepts or ideas, be flexible, and ready to adapt. Social media is constantly changing. New platforms are being released, algorithms and analytics are getting more and more complex,  every platform is always updating and adding new features. So it’s best to take some time and learn these new concepts and information. In order to maximize your content and return on investments.

Globalization is making the business world, especially in advertising and marketing more and more competitiveLastly, try to look at how other fields do their thing. Like Psychology, Biology, Sociology, and even the arts.  Other fields may offer something that can give you an advantage over other competitors. Lastly, learn to invest and try to recruit the best talent you can find. In fact, one of the largest consulting firms Mckinsey & Company has known to recruit some of the best talents from different fields like sports.

 

 

5.  Look First before Jumping

            People love to be on-trend these days. A lot of people have the tendency to embrace the latest and greatest. Whether it is the latest smartphone, the latest social media platform, or the latest diet. This is true for a lot of businesses and entrepreneurs. This is also true in social media marketing. For every social platform that is being released, it’s like every business or company is forced to jump on the trend. It’s like everyone has FOMO. With so many platforms popping here and there, it’s easier to jump from one platform to the next. That’s why it’s important for businesses or companies to stick where their largest customer base is. That’s why researching your ideal customer and where they are located is important.