Your Top Social Media Marketing Questions Answered

It’s always nice to get email from readers. Many of you ask social media marketing questions, and I’ve noticed there are several questions that come up again and again. I thought a blog post would be the perfect place to answer the most common questions that I am asked.

Here are your top, burning questions about social media marketing:

1. How can I make the best use of social media platforms?

When making the decision to start engaging in social media, you’ll first need a well thought out strategy and plan. You are about to brand yourself and build a business identity. It’s better to do it right the first time, then trying to backpedal later on down the road.

Questions to ask yourself include:

What am I trying to achieve from social media marketing?

You should be trying to build a positive identity and promote yourself as a leader in the industry. Offering free, timely advice in your niche and using your social media time to build confidence and consumer trust are the key elements of any social media effort.

Who am I trying to reach?

Decide, early on, who your target audience is. This should influence who you add as a friend or decide to make connections with on social media platforms. Let’s take FaceBook for an example: If you are a real estate agent getting your name out in the community, other real estate agents should NOT be your only FaceBook friends. That’s not going to produce any leads or additional business for you.

Instead, add members of your local Chamber of Commerce (just visit the FaceBook page of your local Chamber, open up their friend list, and start sending out friend requests). This will give you a voice with the business owners in your community. There are plenty of creative ways to make new and promising connections on social media platforms; just be conscious of your target audience when adding friends.

2. What’s social media platform should I participate in first? (Blog? Facebook? Twitter?)

Choosing the social media sites that you will use really depends on your goals and objectives. If you need a wider reaching platform, FaceBook and Twitter are perfect. Also consider using niche sites, such as forums and social networks that are specific to a particular industry.

If you absolutely have to choose just one site to help jumpstart your business, I would recommend FaceBook. It will take some time for you to develop your profile and build a connection base, so you should start as soon as possible.

3. What is the worst mistake I could make when using social media marketing?

Don’t lie and don’t make promises you can’t fulfill. You definitely CAN talk about your business in a light-hearted, witty, or informative way. Just don’t use social networks like a cheezy door to door salesman or blast out repeated promotions. You will lose friends and connections in a hurry.

4. How do I use social media to grow my business?

Start thinking of social media as a branding or identity building tool. It is not a direct sales tool, although putting your best foot forward can lead to sales.

So, if social media is for branding, a better question may be, “How do I build my brand identity using social media?”

Brand building is about loyalty and trust. Once you start connecting and answering comments on your social media platforms, you’ll begin to recognize opportunities as they present themselves. Each complaint, concern, question, or suggestion can turn into a mini-billboard that proclaims the integrity of your business.

Be sure to engage and always answer public comments. As consumer trust grows and strengthens you’ll begin to see a definite return on your social media investment.

Do you have any social media marketing questions? Leave a comment and let’s work on getting them answered!