“Social media is difficult when you run a business. I was told that I need to post to nearly all of my social media platforms 5-10 times a day. How do I know how much to share and what to share when it comes to social media and my business?”

That is a great question, often asked by a great number of business owners and marketers.  We understand that sometimes social media can be overwhelming – but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s identify some areas that need clarification.

Social Media Marketing Starting Tips

• Who is your audience?
• When are they online?
• Where do they spend their time?
• What type of content are they looking for?

Who Is Your Audience?

You will hear us ask this question often, since the answer to this question shapes the rest of your social marketing endeavors. Knowing your target audience gives you insight to who they are, what they expect, what they like to do, what problems they have and how you can play a role in that.

Let’s look at an example: Sal’s Gym just opened up in Everytown, OH.  Sal’s Gym offers personal training, group classes, and weight lifting. Sal wants to market his new business to the town – but where does he start? Does he cast a wide net and market to everyone, all the time? Or does he identify his target audience and develop a strategy.  In Sal’s case, his target audience would be those interested in losing weight, getting fit, staying fit, lifting weights, cardio, group classes, personal training. Take the time in the beginning to invest in learning about your customer. Read more about how to research and locate your audience from our friends at Social Media Examiner>>

When Is Your Audience Online?

The next step Sal would take would be to determine when his target audience is online. Since Sal now knows WHO his audience is, he can develop a strategy of WHEN to post his content. Each social media avenue has statistics built in that can help guide and shape your marketing plan. Sal may find that his audience is mainly comprised of working adults in the 35-45 age range with small children. Identifying when that target audience is online, makes delivering the marketing message more effective.

Where Does Your Audience Spend Their Time?

The goal is to “Be Where They Are”.  Does Sal’s target audience use Snapchat? Maybe not. Are they on Facebook? Possibly. As a business starting out with social media, there will be times of trial and error.  It’s critical that you remain flexible as you discover the optimal time per platform. Sal may use Instagram to show his personal journey, and show the culture of the gym. Sal will need to consider this age demographic, their goals and what solutions Sal provides in order to determine WHERE he should spend his time online as a business. Developing a strategy is helpful in maintaining this.  Reviewing results consistently will also help drive where Sal should spend time online. Curious as to how to determine where to start? Read more about our top five social platforms for business here>>

What Type of Content Is Your Audience Looking For?

Would Sal’s target audience want recipes on sugary brownies or at-home stretches for after an aggressive workout? Since Sal has identified the WHO, the WHEN and the WHERE of his customers, now he can spend time thinking about the WHAT. Sal may find that a YouTube channel with fitness tips and proper posture resonates with his audience. Meal planning could be important to his audience, so photos and links to healthy recipes on his website would be ideal. Sharing those items on Facebook and Instagram stories or in the general feed will help Sal’s following get information that best helps them meet their goals.  Read more about what we have to say about content here>>

Final Thoughts

Spending time in the beginning of the marketing plan/process to get to know the customer gives you the power to provide solutions and build relationships. When you know who your customer is, what they are looking for, what would make their life easier and how you can play a role in that solution – you become an asset, an expert, and a resource to your customer. Your marketing strategy should always include how to better understand your customers and how you can build a relationship with them. Your business is your expertise, so always remember that you should hire professionals to help with the marketing of your business to achieve optimal results.

Don’t give up and create brand champions!

Photo credit: NordWood Themes