Social media can be a blessing and a curse depending upon your product, service, and the specific platforms you choose to use. Facebook is great for certain products, or services, but Instagram/Twitter work better for others. While Pinterest can be the ideal choice for others. Linkedin has opportunities for certain industries but penalizes others. Google ads may not be your companies best bet, or Facebook may yield more customers landing on your website and providing subsequent business opportunities.
Gone are the days of a business just trying to post on all of the major social media players like a Gatling gun trying to hit as many enemy soldiers as possible. Today’s digital marketing requires a strategic sharpshooters approach. Social media is no longer a sprint it’s a marathon. There is no “one size fits all” approach to social media marketing and advertising.
Some businesses just want a billboard website and social media presence. It’s all they need. Others will die a slow death with this approach. Professional services tend to find a higher return with Google Ads or targeted Facebook accounts linked to landing pages specifically targeted at a certain demographic or customer profile.
Small businesses and companies that fall prey to national digital marketing firms often feel like they must touch every social media offering. While that may result in a lot of traffic it defies commonsense digital marketing. You need to be putting your apples in the basket of the greatest return and scattering your resources to as many people as possible is not the best answer. You need to make sure your social media plan is providing maximum value.
Strategic marketing is exactly that, strategic. You purposely plan the audience you want to reach and you do it within those social media platforms that best serve your interests. Just because your buddy has a ton of followers on Instagram or Linkedin doesn’t mean it’s going to work for your business and target audience.
Make the long play with social media. Sprinters run full out for the short distanced prize. Marathoners know how to pace themselves for the long haul and crossing the victory tape. You can as well with a cogent, disciplined, and well-planned social media strategy backed up with the metrics to prove it. However, by making the long play you can change horses mid-race and switch to a better play if your current one is achieving your desired results.
Most companies need a multi-disciplined approach to digital media. This involves a combination of website development, targeted ads, content marketing, and a social media strategy that is flexible and measured. One of the obvious omissions many businesses make is their Google My Business profile.
Regular and consistent posts to your profile can help increase your digital ranking and presence. However, many businesses “over-post” and Google recognizes it as an effort to “pad” the deck. Don’t try and fool the Google algorithm it never works. Instead, entrust your social media and digital marketing efforts to professionals who eat, sleep, and breathe this stuff. They know what to post, where, and when to post. Today’s social media is not something you want to leave in the hands of an amateur. It’s just too costly and could end up biting you from behind.
At WebSpeak Media we’ve been providing clients with digital value for over 20 years. We don’t assume anything until we do a deep dive into your marketing strategy, brand identity, and previous/current efforts including the competitive landscape. We design every digital strategy based on the client’s needs, profile, product/service and brand identity in ways that provide the most value.
Contact us today for complete digital marketing analysis and let’s see how we can help you grow and reach your target market.
Charles Carter, Partner
WebSpeak Media
Charles@WebSpeakMedia.com
864.363.8910
Images: Facebook.com and Linkedin.com logos and Unsplash.com
