It’s no secret: I am the biggest fan of social media marketing. Why? Well for one, that’s where everyone’s at—or at least a good percentage of your potential customer base. According to eMarketer, nearly one in four people worldwide used social networks in 2013. Also, consider these stats from a 2014 Forbes research study:
— Eighty-one percent of those surveyed say that social media posts from friends and family directly influences their purchase decisions.
— Thirty-eight percent of moms say they are more likely to buy products from brands that other women like on Facebook.
— Seventy-eight percent of people say that a company’s social media posts impact their purchase decisions.
— Nine out of 10 users say that they watch videos about the tech products they buy.
— Fifty percent of social media purchases take place within just a week of favoriting that same item on social media; 80% percent of purchases take place within three weeks.
Interesting and compelling—especially for companies. Many marketers, however, remain unsure about the steps to take to implement the right social media plan for their companies. So, here I’m providing 10 social media marketing tips in 140 characters or less. Feel free to add your own in the comments, or tweet the ones here.
1) Tweet a lot—like a whole lot because it drives engagement.
2) Automate during your off hours because @Twitter never sleeps. People expect to hear from you at all hours.
3) Don’t overuse #hashtags in your tweets; one to two per tweet—max.
4) Put a budget behind your posts to amplify your messages; it’s a great way to drive engagement and traffic.
5) Don’t sell on Twitter. Remember that social media is for socializing.
At the heart of Twitter are short messages called Tweets – just like this one. Every Tweet fits into a space that’s under 140 characters.
— Twitter Tips (@TwitterTips) November 13, 2013
6) Don’t just post a message; create social media campaigns.
7) Be a resource, not an advertiser.
8) Put pictures and media in as many posts as you can; they get more engagement.
9) Embed links in your posts; they drive traffic.
10) Ask your audience questions to drive engagement. People want to feel like you value their opinions.
