No, not everybody plays on Facebook all day long, and no: you’re not alone
Social media isn’t everyone’s cup o’ tea, but most of your clients are probably there. Let’s see what you do need to know, just so you’re not completely in the dark when approaching social media.
First off: the concept behind social media platforms
Social media platforms are presented as a safe space where you can share events, experiences and news with your friends and loved ones.
The truth is that a website is considered a social media platform when the users are the ones supplying the content, and that’s about it.
So no, no friends, no family, no fun times and no safe space.
Social media platforms are, in reality, advertising platforms, where marketers like us pay money to get our ad content up in the faces of the users of the platform, who are the real product of social media.
So if you’re not on it, don’t “understand” Facebook or prefer to do other things, that’s perfectly OK!
But as Sun Tzu said: Know your enemy
So we’re here to take a look at social media as visitors today. People who usually don’t dabble in it.
1. Social media is Social
Meaning that you need to consider your target audience as human beings with whom you’re having a conversation about your product. Just as you wouldn’t come up to someone random in the street and tell him about your product, you can’t expect this behaviour to pass as welcome on social media.
Tip: Create communities, build relationships and show interest in your audience.
2. Social media is fun
At least to the people on it. They go there to relax, take their mind off of the day-to-day struggle and the annoying colleagues at work. They go there to kill time during long bus or train rides, or while there’s nothing on TV.
Don’t expect people to want to buy a product they see there, since they’re not in the right mindset. They’re relaxing, not shopping.
Tip: Educate them about your brand, your product or your service, but don’t try to do a cold sale right off the bat.
3. Social media marketing is really link building
No, you won’t get “SEO points” for all the links you paste on your social media page. That’s a lost cause. What you will get, however, is a higher probability that people will know about that link because you’ve put it up there. Add a marketing budget to that post, and you got yourself a wider audience to know about your link.
Tip: Graphics and copy writing are crucial when creating a post, so make sure you’re taking care of all those aspects and create a sexy post that people will want to know what hides behind it. If you need help with that, check out my post about attracting attention and about creating eye catching posts.
4. Social media wants your money
It is a business after all. Some of the more greedy platforms are becoming pay-to-play, and won’t allow your posts to be widely seen if you don’t add a marketing budget to them. Plan accordingly, and put aside a marketing budget for important posts you want people to see.
Tip: Hack the system by creating interesting content and crafting beautiful posts that will get shared organically by your most passionate, niche followers.
Pro Tip: Being funny helps getting your posts shared, so have fun with social media and try to let loose.
