Every day, we learn more about the benefits of social media marketing to various industries. Despite this, only 24 percent of small businesses are using social media in a structured format per an eMarketer report. What is holding back the others including many businesses in the skin care sector? According to online marketing consulting experts, knowing where to begin is the largest roadblock and knowing what to do next comes in a close second.
Many business owners admit to not knowing where to start with social media networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Those who do get started are often unsure of how to use the networks. Should they design their content for marketing or branding purposes, to generate leads, or to provide customer service? With so many possible directions, coming up with a focused strategy can be difficult.
Online marketing experts advise business owners to get started by discovering where their target audiences are, starting small, and growing as they learn their way around. Starting with a single social media platform that customers use, developing a presence, and then exploring others is a smart approach. Search tools are available to identify and track people who influence the industry. For example, a skin care company can follow dermatologists and skin care bloggers.
To convert an already engaged audience into followers, a skin care business should alert email subscribers to its new social media presence. To keep the interest going, interesting information must be delivered through the social media accounts. It takes diligence and patience to identify content that resonates with a specific audience so marketers should tweak social media content when necessary. Once a business has established a social media presence, this can be augmented by surveys, contests, and online chats.
According to Constant Contact, email will remain the preferred marketing channel of consumers this year. Email is also a key driver to success with social media. Combining email and social media marketing can increase the collective benefits and enhance an online marketing campaign. Marketers should not be afraid to capitalize on a proven communication avenue while exploring a new one.
The easiest way to master social media marketing is to learn from experts. Books, blogs, and small business organizations provide a good foundation. A firm specializing in online marketing consulting takes things to the next level by developing customized social media marketing strategies and utilizing the techniques designed to achieve them.
