Getting yourself set up online with social media is now becoming an absolute necessity for any business, whether based in a physical location or just an online business.  As a Social Media Consultant, I can tell you I learned the ins and outs of this industry, and I decided to write this blog article to give you some heads up tips about how to develop the best social media marketing with these tips i’m about to share with you.  In this article I will show you how to effectively market your company using this new marketing media outlet. It’s not as hard as you might think it is.
Think twice about paying for a professional social media marketing service. For starters, their black hat techniques are often seen as spam and will degrade your reputation.
These companies use proxy servers and registration bots to create thousands of accounts on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. Because these services use abusive tactics, your message is generally not seen by too many real people, as the view counts are fake and the fraudulent accounts are generally terminated fairly quickly.
Don’t get me wrong. Not every Social Media Marketer does this. I’m talking about “some” out there that call themselves companies, where behind this “company” is basically a one person show using the methods mentioned above.
So don’t buy in the hype, make sure you pick the right social media consultant to do this job. Someone you can trust. Make sure you have a 1-on-1 talk from time to time. In my case, my clients are like “friends” on a professional level. They trust me and I trust them. With this type of relationship you are into good things, big things! This could lead you to getting more gigs.
When to use the “Like box”?
You should put a ‘like’ box on the top of your blog page.  Doesn’t matter how many social media profiles you are on, you need to make sure everyone can see where you are on. Remember if they can’t see you they won’t visit you. This will make it easy for people to “like” your content , in your website or blog.
I personally use a WordPress plug that pops up, when someone visits my website it pops up asking them to like my profile on Facebook.  The easier you make it for your users, the more likely people will “like” your page and increase your exposure.   If you noticed my website is very user friendly. Everything is always on the outlines of my website so its easy to navigate, and my Social Media Profile Icons are available to “Like”.



Sharing
Make sure you add a sharing icon in every post and every article you write in your blog or website.  Make sure that your content is interesting and unique, so that other social media users will want to share it with others.  People succeed by using social media, but only if their content sticks out from others, then you could be considered an authoritative figure in the online world.
If you are out of ideas, you can always find inspiration online or from family and friends, Yahoo Trends, Google Trends, any viral social site you can find on line.
The Power of Image and Correct Dimensions
Try adding pictures to your social media site. People get a better understanding of a product when they can literally see it. And, when people understand your product, they are more likely to purchase it. You do not need to have too many pictures, just a few should do the job. Be creative with your pictures. For new users I suggest starting off with the Diptic App. Create your own posters for you to share in a heartbeat.
Make sure the dimensions of your posters and pictures are compatible to the social media profile you are trying to upload them on. It’s imperative that you make sure you are using the correct sizes, so they are shown properly while they are being shared. You really don’t want to be sharing posters that are not that attractive to the eye. Neither posters that are half cut etc.   That could be damaging to your own Social Media Marketing reputation as a Social Media Consultant.
With a quick search on Google you can get all that information on how to find the right dimensions for your pictures that you are uploading. Try using “Social Media Cheat Sheet” in Google Search. You’ll get all the info needed.
Make sure you create a logo for your business or brand. In each poster or picture, try adding the logo on there. Preferably, in some corner, and try making it a little discreet. Think of it like your “reusable shopping bag” where you have your brand on it. Each picture or poster you send out in social media, is your “shopping bag” for others to pick up and use it themselves. You’ll have to know where that bag came from.
Just allow people to share your product, your creation. Imagine the power in that. Don’t forget to add your official web address on there as well.  Make sure you use Pinterest in all of this. Pinterest is becoming HUGE in Social Media Sharing. Easy free traffic could be generated by creating a business profile on Pinterest.
You need to Give to Get
In order to increase your follower list or likes, you’ll need to have exclusive offers that potential customers and users can only obtain by following you.  When users notice deals open only to Facebook followers, they are sure to give you greater attention and share the information with friends.
To make your social media marketing campaign successfully and stand out, you will need market your brand and sell yourself as an industry authority.  Instead of plugging your products, produce engaging content that entertains, educates and even inspires people.  If you happen to create something that goes just a little viral due to the share button, your company name is getting out there. Make sure you don’t over do it with your products and services. You don’t want to “annoy” your readers with the same thing everyday.
Help your followers, or users stick around with giving them interesting things for them to work with. For example, I try giving value to my subscribed readers. They subscribed for a reason. So my job is to give them more information on what it is they are asking for.
Personally , in my social media profiles that I manage for my business and clients, I’m using the 70/30 sharing rule.
What this means is, in a day if I post ten times, seven of those ten times will be about everything that is not my business , and three times during this day I would mention my business, products, or whatever services I have to offer.    You really don’t want others “unsubscribing” or “un-liking” you. There will be a lot of those, but that’s fine, there is an abundance of “potential” new likes every day
You just need to be out there for them to see you.
Goals and Objectives
Try to map out your objectives and goals for participation when starting a social media marketing campaign. Make them available throughout the company so that everyone within the organization is on the same page. Results from social media marketing will be more productive and better focused when all activities are aligned and working towards the same goals.
For large companies, social media marketing can be a labor intensive, complicated, and non-standardized task where efficiency can be elusive.
Many ad agencies and social media agencies are still trying to understand how to effectively market to the masses and are making it up as they go. So be careful where you spend your money and make sure you are getting measurable results from your marketing campaign.
When running a social media marketing campaign, brag about how many followers you have from time to time. If someone sees that 1500 people are following you, they may join up too just so they do not get left out of what their friends already know about. The desire to stay in the know and be trendy can be your friend.
As you can see from this article, while social media can seem intimidating for someone who hasn’t spent much time on it, it is really quite simple.  But really its for people that have the time. Let me warn you that it could be very time consuming. Especially in the creative part.
Creating a poster could take several hours, just trying to get the concept and idea down together with the edits that you could be doing. Or maybe your are creating a paid advertising campaign. You have to create everything, the content, the poster , and find the relevant keywords to help you target the exact demographic you are targeting.
Budget?
In terms of budget, well social media is actually something that is free and simple. But it all depends on how much impact you want to have. You could do it yourself, and test things out or hire that professional to do it for you , with tested methods that prove conversions.
Budget Varies throughout the online world. It could be per hour, or per week, or per month.  It really depends on the ad agency, or social media consultant. I prefer charging monthly. Without hours, so I can give my “Creative” self some room of creation. I feel if I’m on the clock, I’m tied down and have no freedom to create.
Really, I hate being on the clock. It reminds me of my 9-5. This job is something I love, so I prefer doing it my way, this way I can guarantee good results to my clients.
So if you do hire a professional , make sure you know who you are talking to, and also make sure you understand how they work. How do they gain their followers, and likes? If it’s paid advertising then that’s fine, however like I mentioned previously, there are some shady ways of gaining followers and likes, which are not good for your business.  These are called “black hat” techniques. Just heads up on who you hire!
These are some ideas where someone could get started. I didn’t go into detail in regards to which social media profiles to use etc. This is another topic I will open up another time, and wouldn’t want to expand on this here.
Thanks for reading my article on “How to develop The Best Social Media Marketing with These Tips”… for more articles such as this please subscribe below. I promise I don’t spam!
Thank you for reading!
There are things here I hadn’t thought of, so thanks so much. I’ll definitely add social icons to make sharing easier once I add a little more meat to my blog’s bones.
More to come Aleya! 😀 Keep a look out! 🙂
great tips, thank you! 🙂 aleya
Hi Carla…as you have noticed, i’ve made some changes in my network choosings. 🙂
That is one of the most fantastic posts I’ve read lately! Thanks! I put it out on Twitter and G+, too. I’m permanently bookmarking this one. I’ve been using social media for years for article writing, but it feels like I’m just missing the mark with the online business. Will implement some of your strategies, as I can.