Since social media came on the scene, brands have been utilizing it as a marketing tool. From blogs to podcasts to Instagram, businesses are using these mediums to build awareness. But do you feel like you’re getting any ROI or gaining traction with your content?
It’s not enough to simply be on social media. Content has to be helpful to your audience along their buying journey in order to drive qualified leads to your business. We have 5 tips to help you use content to speak to your customers, establish yourself as a thought leader and build your brand awareness. This works if you are B2B, B2C or a company brand or personal brand.
- Identify your target audience. Your social media strategy will work best if it is directed toward a specific audience with content topics you know the audience is searching for and on platforms where they are hanging out. Determine who is in the top 20% that’s driving 80% of your business. Focus on them as your primary audience. If you are a start-up, who was the primary group — or your Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA) — you designed the product or service for?
2. Be a part of the conversation where it’s happening. Once you have identified your audience and where they hang out, ask yourself, are they talking about my product or service in this space? Just because your audience is on Instagram doesn’t mean they are looking for info about you or what you offer in that space. Social media platforms are like parties and you have to read the room.
3. Know the business you are trying to develop. Social media is a brand awareness tool and a lead generator. It drives leads into the top of the funnel. Consider your promotional calendar, seasonal products, signature offer and overall, what your audience is buying right now or during a certain period.
4. Answer customer questions. Before customers buy, they are on a journey. They may have questions about how a product works, what service levels exist, how this will solve their pain points. Anticipate questions and create content around those answers. This also works well for current customers. Do not sell here but instead, be helpful. Provide tips, demonstrations, etc.
5. Don’t play on every platform. There are a lot of options when it comes to content and social media.You don’t need to be on every platform, only the best ones to reach your audience with your intended message. See below for a few quick takes on each channel.
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- Instagram – Top of the funnel tool and good for brand awareness. Stories and Reels are key.
- LinkedIn – Great for all B2B brands and creating industry specific thought-leadership content.
- Facebook – Not growing like it once did but tools like Groups and Events are effective.
- Twitter – Best for niche audiences.
- Pinterest – Think SEO. This channel is less about social and more for search.
- YouTube – Great place to house your longform video content and a great SEO tool.
- TikTok – Fastest growing social media platform in the world. Gen Z is not the only audience you can find there. Millennials to Boomers are there for content, too.
- Blog – All your content should live on your blog. Making your website a hub for all your content helps with SEO. It’s also a one-stop shop for all your articles about your products, services or expertise for your potential customers to binge.
- Podcast – Recent studies have shown that listeners are more likely to buy brands advertised on a podcast than in TV commercials.
- Email List – If you are wondering why we are mentioning email here it’s because it’s a part of your content and in turn, your social media. Out of all the social media platforms you are on, the only fans, followers, subscribers, etc, that you own are the ones on your email list. Continue to nurture this list. This will continue to be a lifeline to your customer base when social channels implode or there’s a power outage. 😉
We’ve also included links to other related blogs to dive further into using content to drive leads to your business!
Related blogs:
Using social media influencers in your marketing strategy.
Best practices for organic marketing on LinkedIn.
How to show up in video on TikTok and Instagram.
Create a strong caption game on Pinterest.
Listen to a LinkedIn Live on the topic here. Social media and marketing strategy for scaling companies is one of our specialties here at Novella Brandhouse. Grab a spot on our calendar to discuss how we can help.
