Social media is everywhere. Where the people are is where you must market. That essentially means you need to be using different types of social marketing to ensure business success. Providing you have settled into your brand and have built a strong marketing strategy, you can make a difference and stand out. So what are the different types of Social Marketing you could use?
Social Networks
Social Networks are the sites most of us automatically associated with Social Media. These sites include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Social networks allow you the opportunity to build relationships with people and brands. These are the sites we log into the see what Grandma is up to and keep in touch with old friends.
The number one reason you need to be using at least one social network is to provide an outlet to cultivate new relationships. Customer Service and follow up are two very crucial necessities for any business to be successful, and Social Networking sites allow you to do that. Many people use Facebook, and their business features such as a business page and groups to help build that community and relationship.
Take a look at your business and decide if creating one of these would benefit you. Additionally, review your other networking sites to see if you are using them and make sure you are building healthy strategies. After all, building a robust Pinterest marketing strategy will get you more traffic than just winging your pins.
Media Sharing
Media comes in many forms, including photography, video, slideshows, and PDF’s. The Media sharing sites are just that; they are sites that allow you to search for and share media of some sort. These types of sites include YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.
These sites allow you to build brand awareness and get your mark on the world. Find your little corner of the internet, find your tribe, and love them hard. Brand Awareness can be a milestone to success as people start to recognize you and your products.
Pinterest is probably my favorite site to use for my small business. It’s a great way to connect with new people, share images, and get your content circulating. Using tools to automate your content such as Tailwind helps stay consistent which increases the chances your content will be shared. If you don’t have time to learn Tailwind (although we have a course to help you with that), consider Pinterest Management Services to get your content shared!
Discussion Sites
These are sites such as Quora and Reddit and allow you to locate different topics and post comments. These are very helpful in finding and creating content about trending topics. Use these sites to help your business grow by advertising and posting on them as appropriate for your business.
Other sites that can sometimes fall into this category are those that are niche-specific. These sites allow you to connect with others based on interests. These are sites such as Goodreads or Houzz, and depending on how they are organized can be used as a discussion site. If your business works within one of these sites, make sure you are using it to your advantage by networking, commenting, and becoming a part of their community.
Social Sharing Sites
Another significant type of Social marketing is social sharing sites. These are sites such as Pinterest and Snapchat. These sites allow you to share media with others. Sharing with others can be a potent and valuable tool to drive people to your products and services.
You absolutely want to be using these if you have a need to get more people to look at your products and services. I think almost all of us want that, which will help us be successful. Not all social sharing sites make sense for all businesses but you should be using at least one of them. If you are a blogger, you absolutely need to be on Pinterest.
Types of Social Marketing
While there are different types of social marketing these days, the lines are often blurred. We are busy people, and we like our one-stop shopping. Try a tool, assess if it’s working for you, and modify your strategy as needed. Not every social marketing strategy will work for every business and product, but it’s important to find what will work for your business.
Figuring out what tasks are actually priorities will help you manage your time most effectively. This is harder than it sounds. That is why I’ve created a workbook to help you figure this all out. Let’s get your actual business and life priorities straightened out.
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