Ok, let’s get real. What’s the purpose of hiring an agency to handle the social media for your business. It’s just a few posts on Facebook, right? If a teenager can figure it out, why can’t you? The truth is, using social media to promote your business takes a lot more planning than letting your friends know where you’re eating dinner this Friday night. The goal is to build a loyal following by providing useful content on a consistent basis. You need to understand your target audience, the specific needs of your business and how you rank against your competition.
Here are a few ways using a social media marketing service will be an asset for your business:
They’ll set goals that make sense for your industry
A social media marketing service will audit your current social marketing plan and help you set goals that are relevant to your industry, the size of your business and the stage of your business. A business competing in the high-tech sector needs a completely different plan than a chef operating a food truck, yet social media is equally valuable to both of their goals. Working with an experienced social media marketing service will help you understand which metrics and benchmarks are most important for your industry, and together you’ll build an actionable plan to achieve better results than if you tried to go it alone. They’ll also be able to tailor your content messages to match the stage of your business. Businesses that are less than two years old need a focused plan for gaining new followers, while an established brand would focus on providing the most valuable content to their current, loyal followers. All of this requires planning, and working with an agency takes away the guesswork.
You need help identifying your target audience
A key factor in deciding what types of content to post on your social media is understanding who is reading your posts. Correctly identifying your target audience will make sure the news stories and industry research you share will be interesting and relevant to the reader. In a perfect world, you’re sharing information that your audience would have read if they had the time to find it. Your business is providing a customer service by gathering these articles, and providing relevant content will lead to more followers and repeat visitors. You may think you know your target customers, but using available analytics may shed a different light on the subject. You may learn that your business is popular with a different audience than you thought, or even better the data may alert you to new customer segments that present a growth opportunity. Using a social media marketing service to research and build profiles on your target customers will give you the knowledge to make the best decisions to reach your intended audience.
It helps to watch your competition too
The traditional way of relating to customers is a thing of the past. That’s because the way consumers interact with the market shifted when the internet and smart phones came along. Your business is no longer competing with the guy down the street, you’re going head to head with the entire global marketplace. Odds are you’re too busy running your own business to keep track of what your competition is doing, but putting your head in the sand could be a fatal mistake. Keeping a sharp eye on your competition ensures you make timely decisions regarding your pricing model, your growth projections and how to position yourself in the market. How does this relate to social media? Consumers have come to expect a direct interaction with their favorite brands. Watching your competition’s accounts gives you an idea of what type of users they’re reaching and what type of content they like to see. Social media marketing services will gather this insight and share it in a condensed way, and these insights will help you plan your next move.
Your firm will benefit from scheduled, consistent posts
A social media plan is a lot like a New Year’s resolution to work out. You understand why it’s important and you have every intention to follow through. You may even start working out for a month or two, then slowly work deadlines and life creep back in and your plan trails off. Using a social media marketing service will ensure that you have scheduled and consistent posts across all of your key accounts. Why is this important? Accounts that are more active build followers faster, and your company becomes a trusted source of relevant and timely industry knowledge. Your audience will recommend your social sites to their friends and colleagues, and your reach and influence will grow. Much like personal fitness, these changes don’t happen overnight. It takes long-term consistent effort to see true results. Using a social media marketing service ensures your plan is executed according to schedule.
It’s tricky to stay up-to-date with technology
The Marketing world is changing rapidly, and every time you turn around the media is touting a new and better way to reach your audience. Who has time to keep up with all of the twists and turns in the marketplace? Your social media marketing service is constantly plugged in to the various social outlets, and they’ll know how to use every new fad and feature to your business’ advantage. After all, this is their prime expertise and it makes their jobs easier to stay in the know. Staying current with new technology and new features takes a large investment of time, and that’s time better spent focusing on your core business. Leave the technology to the pros and trust that you’re in good hands.
I hope I’ve done a great job convincing you that using a social media marketing service is a wise investment. Outsourcing those responsibilities saves your time and resources, and with some luck you’ll gain a trusted partner who is dedicated to helping your business grow. It’s simply no longer an option to ignore the social media realm, so set yourself up for success by working with an agency that has a proven track record for their clients. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
How could a social media agency help your business grow?