How to Maximize the Marketing Potential of Social Media

Are you using social media to its maximum potential to grow your startup?

It’s no secret that social media has changed the world. Even more, it’s completely changed how businesses market themselves. What once was dominated by print advertisements, email campaigns, and phone calls now has a worthy competitor in social media marketing. When done well, a strategic and smart social media presence has the potential to grow your sales, customers, and reach in substantial ways.

To best utilize all of the components social media has to offer, you need to learn how to effectively manage your accounts and make sure you are marketing to the right group of people.

Start With a Clear Plan

Before you jump in and start crafting posts and creating content, you need a solid plan of action. Take a step back and determine who you are trying to reach and what platforms they are currently on. While your biggest group of potential customers may be on Instagram, you could also have a substantial group on Facebook that is being ignored. Without a clear plan, you could be spending time and money targeting customers on platforms they aren’t prominently using.

When you are done researching your customers and platforms, you are ready to create a content calendar that you can update regularly with post ideas, dates of scheduled posts, and copy. A calendar allows you to line up all of your future posts and see how your upcoming content relates to one another. Staying consistent in your voice is what will help you create long-lasting relationships with your customers.

Include All Four Winning Components in Every Post

As you create your social media posts, it’s important to include these four components. They will ensure that customers take action and engage with your brand.

1. Start With a Hook

If you don’t gain the attention of the reader right away, they are more likely to keep on scrolling. A hook pulls the reader in and makes them want to engage with you and your product. This could be a question, a statement that sparks emotion, or an interesting fact. It can be helpful to see the hook as a way to empathize with the reader about a problem they may be experiencing.

2. Resolve Your Hook

Once you grab their attention, it’s time to resolve the question the hook asked or the emotion it created. This is where you can mention your product or service and position it as a solution to a problem. Save the bulk of your copy for this section of the post.

3. End With a Call to Action

The reader won’t make a purchase or visit your website without a call to action prompting them to take the next step. First, determine what that action step should be, and then phrase it in a way that the reader can engage with.

Example: Contact us! – linking to a contact form on your website, Shop Now – linking to your sales page, or Learn More – linking to a landing page on your website.

4. Add a Photo or Graphic

Photos and graphics grab a reader’s attention and make them stop on the post. You don’t need a photographer to post quality photos, just invest the time in making sure that the photos aren’t blurry and that they always include a subject. For graphics, Canva is your best friend! You can easily create posts that look sharp and creative.

Invest in a Scheduler

Social media schedulers are your friends! Instead of planning out and posting individual posts each day, you can schedule for an entire month of posts with programs like Later or Hootsuite. These programs are subscription-based and are often affordable. You can schedule posts, create ads, see analytics, and manage content. As a new entrepreneur, this is an easy way to free up your time and increase your social presence.

Social Media Management Do’s and Don’ts

While social media is an easy tool to learn, it does come with its own list of dos and don’ts. Following these guidelines can help you more efficiently manage your accounts and connect with potential customers.

Do post positive reviews and highlight customers’ successful journey with your product or service. You made a product that you should be proud of, don’t be afraid to share that with the world!
Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Nothing burns the trust of your customers more than when you promise huge results or free products when you can’t guarantee these.

Do be authentic in what you post. Be truthful and honest and real – this is what will connect you to your customers!
Don’t be fake. Never lie or put on a show to your social media followers to portray your business as something that it isn’t.

Do post consistently. If you tend to post Monday and Friday, make it a priority to continue posting on those days. Consistency will help your customers know when to expect to hear from you.
Don’t post sporadically. The social media algorithm only benefits users who consistently post – take advantage of it and don’t be sporadic with your posts.

Do maximize social media’s potential. Advertising, analytics and so much more. Make sure you are utilizing all the potential social media has to offer!
Don’t expect it to be a cure-all for your business. Social media isn’t a one-stop-shop for success. You still need to employ other basic marketing tactics to see success.

When Should You Hire Outside Help?

Now that you know what you should include in each post and the important dos and don’ts, it can be helpful to recognize the signs of needing to hire outside help. Hiring a social media manager or outsourcing social media to an agency can take the burden off your plate and free up time for you to focus on your business. If you find that you can’t keep up with your audience, or the effort far outweighs the return then outsourcing is a smart decision! 

Research potential managers online and ask for a portfolio to view previous campaigns they have run. Look for measurable results before you hire anyone. Whether you decide to outsource or manage your own social media, striving for measurable results that drive profit is your number one goal and can be easily met through a strong plan! 

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