How to Get the Most Out of Your Social Media Marketing

Happy Friday 👋

In this edition of Lucid Insights, we’ll be taking a broad view of how you can get the most out of your social media marketing.

Let’s jump right in!

Posting on social media can be an overwhelming endeavor.

Between the different platforms, media formats, time investment, and changing trends it can be easy to get lost in the weeds.

By now you’ve likely realized that the top brands and businesses utilize the power of social media not only to sell their products but tell their brand story.

Often times your social media profiles will be the primary way your audience interacts with your brand or business. It’s in your best interest to invest in this area to stay competitive.

As with anything in content marketing, you will need a plan to be successful.

Start by Setting Clear Goals

Before you get to posting you need to ask yourself this…

What are you trying to achieve with your social media marketing?

It could be a multitude of things like:

• Building brand awareness

• Driving more website traffic

• Generating more leads

• Boosting your sales

The bottom line is that setting clear and focused objectives will help ensure that you stay on track.

When you and your team have a thorough understanding of your goals, your messaging will remain precise and your audience will be much more engaged.

Choose the Right Platforms

Posting on every social media channel….

It’s one of the easiest traps to fall into. Why?

Because we think that not posting somewhere means that we are missing out on potential new business.

The truth is that every brand out there is unique which is why there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to social media.

Choosing the right platforms is no different.

The best approach is to focus on the platform(s) that are used most by your audience.

This allows you to concentrate your efforts where you’re likely to be more successful.

Optimize Your Profile

Do you know how long it takes to make a first impression?

7 seconds.

Those 7 crucial seconds are your chance to stand out.

Realize that your profile and bio will likely be one of the first things someone will interact with. This is why you need to be crystal clear on who you are and what you do.

Some easy steps to take are

• Making sure your username is easily recognizable

• Keep your profile picture on brand

• Place relevant information in your bio

• Include a way for someone to learn more by inserting a link to your website.

Here’s an example from well-known brand, National Geographic. It’s short, simple, and to the point.

Post Consistently

If you want to be successful on social media, then you need to stay relevant with your audience.

Do this by posting regularly and following a publishing schedule. Maintain a certain posting frequency depending on what your audience wants.

Two things to avoid are over-posting and long periods of time when your audience doesn't hear from you.

Experiment with different frequencies and analyze the results. Over time you will learn what your audience responds best to.

Engage with Your Audience

It’s called social media for a reason.

Social Media is a two-way street. It’s a fantastic way to interact with your followers who could be current or potential customers.

Here are some easy ways to interact with your audience:

• Respond to comments

• Ask your audience questions

• Run contests or giveaways

• Share posts you are tagged in

When you engage with your audience, you form a sense of connection and build a group of loyal followers who will look forward to hearing from you.

Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)

UGC is content created by members of your audience, at no cost to you, that promotes your brand or product.

UGC is one of the best ways to form social proof and expand your reach to people you might not be in front of.

Create a culture that encourages people to share their experiences with your brand or product and make sure you share these posts to show your appreciation.

Create Engaging Content

Content comes in many forms.

When it comes to social media, you will most likely be focused on images, videos, infographics, and live streams.

Depending on what platforms you are focusing on, spend time learning what kind of content your audience likes.

Regardless of what kind of content you use, your goal should be to capture and hold people’s attention through the use of great hooks and high-quality posts that are entertaining and informative.

Hashtags and Keywords

Strategic use of keywords and hashtags will work wonders for your discoverability.

But it can take time to dial this in.

Your goal is to make it easier for people to find your content based on their interests and what is currently trending.

Spend time researching hashtags that are relevant to your brand. Use a mix of popular as well as niche hashtags.

Similarly, make sure that your captions are extremely relevant and specific to what you are trying to promote.

For example, on Instagram AI will analyze any photo or video along with the caption. Using relevant keywords that describe the imagery will signal the algorithm that your content is useful and would appeal to your audience.

Use tools like SEM rush to research keywords for your industry and include these in your posts.

The Bottom Line…

Social media can have an immensely positive impact on your business. Not only can it help boost your revenue, but it’s one of the best ways to build a loyal fan base that will stick by you.

Just remember, it’s not something that happens overnight.

If you’re willing to put in the time and be patient, the results will come.

Quote of the week ✍️

Tired of content bottlenecks holding you back? Lucid Media helps brands tell better stories and grow audiences faster.