Social networks have been a phenomenon of the last few years and they will not leave the Internet world just like that. They gradually became part of the lives of many of us. Even the ZET generation, the emerging purchasing power, was weaned on them. However, the meaning, purpose and form of social networks have undergone an interesting evolution from simple profiles through the stage of madness to virtual flash games to gigantic marketplaces.
Social networks contain a huge number of potential customers. It would be a shame not to take advantage of your chances and let such great and interesting business opportunities slip through your fingers. In order to proceed correctly on social networks and gradually fulfill the set goals, it is necessary to choose an appropriate strategy. These appropriate strategies, which undergo constant innovation, are covered by the term « social marketing » or marketing on social networks.
Let’s take a look together at how to improve the profitability of websites on social networks through social marketing. We have prepared 5 good tips for you , be sure to read on.
1. Define your territory
Most online projects these days automatically establish a profile on social networks in addition to classic websites when they are created. Facebook wins hands down , as one of the most famous community sites in the Internet world. But is it also suitable for your project? Wouldn’t it be better to have profiles elsewhere? We are definitely leaning towards a strategy of combining several social sites . However, do not make the selection at random, because each social site has a slightly different group of users.
Which one is the right one? Do you have your chosen one? Polygamy is allowed in this case.
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Facebook is probably the most universal at the moment , as it was able to reach Generation X, i.e. people born between 1965 and 1985 and even older users, albeit to a lesser extent. Disadvantage? FCB has the most competition. We already wrote about Facebook and marketing in the article Facebook is like an amusement park.
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The video social network YouTube.com is also significantly strengthening, mainly thanks to the boom in recordings. However, the creation of original video content is also conditional on a better technical background, as it must achieve excellent quality. Also, the difficulty of creating a video presentation can be prohibitive in terms of time.
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Among other social sites, it is definitely worth paying attention to Twitter, which works on the basis of adding so-called tweets. Thanks to our own advertising program, you can pay extra for displaying and promoting selected posts.
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Are you targeting industry professionals? Try working with advertising on LinkedIn . This social network is very empowering, take advantage of its potential among the first.
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Try lesser-known social sites as well. How about a Pinterest account? If your website involves creative work, be it crocheting, cooking or creating vector graphics, Pinterest is an interesting option to secure additional enthusiasts and customers. There are hundreds of similar « unknown » sites, be pioneers!
2. Offer more than the competition
You don’t have to be ashamed of following your « opponents ». After all, it is the basis of not only e-business. We are not talking now about copying your sap’s steps, but about monitoring his actions and inspiration. Does it rely on elaborate posts? Does it actively use advertising on social networks? React flexibly and try to come up with a new, unexpected idea. As we mentioned above, « movement » is very much in demand . Work more with the creation of GIF images and encourage your visitors to « catch » and screen the frames from the animations. This way you will perfectly draw them into the action. Videos also have a great effect. Of course, your own creation is the best. Which videos will be successful? Educational and entertaining.
The advantage of Facebook video is that it plays automatically without the user having to click the play button. Just a second will decide if your video catches his attention and he finishes watching it. That’s why you really care about the video start.
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By creating videos, you can provide content for several social sites at once – you just share a video uploaded from YouTube.
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Don’t forget to connect YouTube.cz, for example, with Twitter – immediately after uploading, the video will also appear on the Twitter account.
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You can also upload videos directly to Facebook.
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Don’t forget to work with the captions – a good video caption and content description mean extra points!
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Include video advertising in your promotion as well. The investment is higher, but in most cases it will soon be returned with interest. In short, video has great reach and influence.
3. Make friends with your customers
Communication? On social networks, the basis of everything. Don’t be afraid of your fans and start a discussion with them. Take an interest in what they are doing , how they are, what they are planning, what they have experienced… No, it’s not chatter, it’s not a waste of time, it’s not just trying to please. You have an amazing tool in your hands that allows you to learn so much amazing information about your customers – that tool is the comment. Give suggestions for debate, comment on comments. In short, keep your page alive and show your fans that they don’t follow you unnecessarily.
Chat with your customers. Sometimes even a completely simple and unobtrusive question is enough to deepen relationships, to increase credibility and to obtain interesting information.
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Do you rely on seriousness? The social page will not break your serious face . Communicate in a neutral tone and with courtesy.
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Watch out for grammatical errors. Better double check everything.
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Problems? Quarrels? Don’t be a dead bug, solve problems actively. So-called « haters », i.e. users who focus on provoking negative reactions, can cluster on every page and every profile. It’s annoying, but common. Try to keep the discussion non-aggressive. At worst, you can block the user. However, approach this step within really extreme limits, excessive censorship is not welcome – not even on your social page.
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Have a crisis communication plan in place. With a cool head, you will overcome a number of unpleasant situations that may arise on your website.
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Communicate quickly. An answer to a question within an hour is definitely more satisfying than in 6 days.
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Leave content building to your group members and respond to them. Never leave a post where someone reviews your service or purchased product without commenting.
4. Work on advertising campaigns
Advertising is a basic means of marketing that you cannot do without. Work on its form, use different methods and channels. The basis of the success of any advertising campaign is precise targeting. Therefore, at the very beginning, make it clear to yourself who you will focus on with the given advertisement and what you want to gain from it. Advertising does not have to have the primary goal of « selling », for now advertising can help build a brand and inform future clientele.
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Pictures drag. Bet on quality and test. You can find out more about the influence of graphics on people in our earlier article on emotional intelligence.
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The stories also drag. Away with boring captions and traditional texts without an idea. Go for it playfully, original and with an interesting story.
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Log everything. If you have a logo or even a company slogan, use one or both in your ads. People « peek » and « listen » to them = remember them. And that’s the point.
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Make your posts look unique. Whether it’s a tweet or an FCB post, it must be obvious at first glance that it’s from you. Not only specific content, emoticons and formatting will help, but also colors.
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Challenge. Your followers need a call to action, give them one. Work with smart claims and CTA calls in the advertising campaign. « Come », « Click », « Buy » – this is exactly what will not let the mouse cursor click on the terrible cross. « Close » is every marketer’s nightmare.
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Have customers commented or reacted with a thumbs up, heart, etc. to your FCB ad? Well done, these are the people you have caught your eye on. If they are missing from your group, be sure to invite them. The vast majority of users accept the request on the same day.
5. Optimize!
People no longer sit in front of one large monitor with a faithful PC case at their feet. Thanks to portable devices, they can enjoy the online paradise from the comfort of a park bench. Therefore, do not forget about optimization – optimization of everything. There is nothing worse than if an elaborate advertising campaign fails to show half of the users on mobile.
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Before you launch your campaign, test your site on different operating systems . Are they really showing up correctly everywhere? Also on Android, iOS and Windows?
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It’s not just a flawless display of the website and ads on social networks. Also focus on email templates.
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Mobile apps are very trendy. If you can offer something unique and competitive, developing a mobile app is another way to multiply the reach of online social marketing.
There are many ways to improve online social marketing and increase its effectiveness. We have listed the basic 5 points that can help the e-project to rise significantly. For even more interesting results, we recommend creating a social marketing plan. Thanks to scheduling, you will know exactly which action has priority, what needs to be completed and how to proceed in the future. And remember, social marketing is supposed to be about fun. To make your campaigns fun, you have to create them with a smile on your face.
