Let's be honest, social media has become the haven of marketing in the 21st century. With its growing influence, more and more businesses are trying to get a stronghold over this 'enchanted' virtual world where almost anything can be sold.
From young kids to old people, from the self-employed businessman to the office going guy, from hardcore chillers to deadline chasing workaholics everyone is on Social media, because, there is something for everyone.
It is believed that the full potential of social media is yet to be used. Even today, the biggest names in business apply traditional marketing techniques, only a few new strategies specially designed to accommodate with needs of social media have come up, so the possibilities are infinite.
You just have to ignite the chemicals in your brain and work those neurons which can do wonders on your command. In short, come up with original ideas, if that's tough for you, then you can use the applied and tested formulas for your company's rise on social media.
No matter what stage your startup is in, you'll want to start or continue to grow your social media audience. The more people you can reach on social media organically and through advertising, the better your launch and your on-going sales will be.
Here are a few strategies that you can use depending on your preferences.
The Pop Culture Phenomenon
Do you remember fidget spinners? (Ah..2017 nostalgia) Fidget spinners became one of the most trending topics on social media at that time. The reason behind it is what I like to term as the 'pop culture phenomenon. For anything to go viral it needs to become a part of the pop culture of the time. The thing is, no-one, remembers when and how anything becomes pop culture, but it somehow does and that's what matters.
Several companies started making fidget spinners and generated huge profits, so who was the target audience here? Well if we look at it now, we might say there was no such thing as a target audience for the spinners as literally everyone started buying them, and doing something out of them and posting it on social media, regardless of any human-made classifications.
But on paying close attention and studying its wave and period of influence, we come to know that its primary influence was not on a certain group but rather a community, the community on social media, it didn't just become a thing' overnight, it was pre-planned and initially marketed as a toy and later as a stress reliever, targeted precisely at self-improvement/mental health-obsessed individuals, as the topics revolving around self-care ere quite trending back then (they still are as important). And from there, the path was paved for it to land in the sweet stream of river 'trending' and once a thing enters the holy waters of the river, all human-made classifications are erased.
So if you're product is something that will most probably be bought by the common mass, you could very likely create a buzz around it by associating it with the present pop culture. And how do you do this? By making posts about it, ask your marketing team to start doing it in large numbers, approach (or observe) the torch bearers of internet trends, observe their moves and plan your Strategies according to your observations
Again, to make things clear, it's not as if there would be no target audience. Initially, your job is to analyze your product/service and separate a group, then bombard their social media feed with content that has your product/service in some form (sounds harsh, but it's done all over by elites in unimaginable numbers). Then, it's your marketing team's job to present your product as a thing in pop culture. The rest will be done by the netizens.
The Presence
The starting point for growing your audience on any social network is strong profiles and pages for your social accounts. This requires including branded cover photos and profile photos. It also requires filling out all of your details. Keep in mind that you're competing with billion-dollar franchises here, teams consisting of hundreds of people, and many such teams behind one social media handle.
It might sound scary but here's the catch, social media is the only place where you and that billion-dollar franchise stand on equal ground in front of the audience, both are ' just another social media account' amidst the sea of active business handles present. If you present yourself in good light and come out as a trustworthy and reliable page, more people are going to come flocking to you.
You need to keep your info light-hearted and something with which people can connect, (look at Netflix's social handles, they scream trust and light-hearted humor) it's not rocket science,
On Twitter, that's as simple as a 160-character bio, website link, and location. Facebook wants a short description, website link, address, and phone number. In short, fill out as many fields for your social profiles and pages as you can. Next, share a few updates (five to ten) before you start your quest to build an audience. This will give people who visit your social accounts a reason to follow you.
How to use social media to 'know' who your target audience is.
Sometimes it may happen that your perceptions about your target audience might not be 100% accurate or maybe your product starts attracting or has the potential of attracting a group of which you are unaware. You can always use your social media in certain ways to make sure your efforts to please your target customers don't go to waste. Several ways exist by which you can get the public opinion on your business.
Some of them are:
Polls
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are effective ways of surveying your target audience. Social media polls are one of the most popular and simple ways of finding out more about your customers. Social media sites have made it easier for you to engage and listen to what your audiences have to say, and offer fully customizable forms that will help you expand your reach and even grow your fan base. Polls are equipped with analytical tools that will give you information on your audience’s age group, location, profession, and more.
Try LinkedIn for keyword research
Social media platforms often offer the best and most expansive audience targeting capabilities, which he said Anvil can then transfer to the search engines that don’t have quite the same data or features.
Stories
A lot of people wander in the realms of Instagram/Snapchat stories. Fun questions, trivia, and competitions are always appreciated. Conduct such fun events constantly. Ask your followers (literally ask) to use hashtags on the regular. This will increase the engagement of your handle and trick the algorithm to promote your posts even more! Plus you will build the trust factor among your audience.
Adverts
Do not shy away from using adverts and run such ad campaigns time after time, and set the targeted audience slightly different from the last time, this way the most responsive group can be your primary target audience.
PS: Do not make annoying ads which
Keep popping in people's feeds. Don't
Spam! It makes people hate your product.
Make SEO your priority
Your brand ranks high for relevant terms, it is targeting everyone actively searching for your products and services.
SEO for audience targeting
Also, the search is often a signal of buying intent whereas targeting ads to demographic data and tastes is always hoping you may get them at the right time, With search, they have already shown they are looking by typing it in.
These are the audience targeting strategies that top marketers are currently using to find and reach their ideal customers. But with technologies rapidly changing, it’s important to keep looking forward to finding new strategies.
Partnerships
Many brands on social media get into 'brand partnerships' with influencers or other brands. This is a win-win situation and mutually beneficial. Select those brands and influencers to partner with who have an audience base made up of users who fall under the category of your 'target audience'.
Your partner's influence will help increase your reach and if you manage to bag a deal with an influencer who has a cult following, then you'll have assured sales. If affording a contract with an influencer is out of your budget, then ask your present customer base to promote your products/services using the aforementioned points. Your loyal and satisfied customers will do it happily.
Following these tips, you'll not only be able to recognize and sell to your target audience but also build a community around your brand. As we know humans are social animals so there's always a longing for other humans. Use biology to your advantage! And if you succeed in building a relationship that is something more than just seller and customer, you're gonna stay in the market for a while.
Check out our recent blog - https://www.liaisonit.com/post/20-seo-tools-to-optimize-and-grow-your-business-websites-in-2021
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