Why Social Media Marketing is so Important to Your Firm and Ideas to Improve your Online Profile

The impact of technology and, in particular, the internet on modern business is impossible to ignore. Since the first web page was published by Tim Berners-Lee back in August 1991, the web has matured and developed to become a driving force in commerce and has changed everything from how businesses operate to how they find new customers and promote themselves. 

However, while the web has undoubtedly had a hugely transformative effect on business, many experts would argue one particular corner of the internet has changed our relationship with firms more than any other – namely, social media. 

Why social sites are so integral to modern marketing

In a world where there are now more web pages than people, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for firms to differentiate themselves from their competitors – so social media promotion has become a vital part of the marketing mix for companies. If used well, social media marketing has the power to embolden your firm’s online profile and solidify its links with clients – both existing and potential. 

Perhaps more importantly, having a strong social presence allows customers to engage directly with your firm and sign up to see your most recent posts – somewhat similar to the way email newsletters work, but in a far less intrusive way. 

The most successful types of social media post

Although there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to posting on social media platforms, some types of content have shown higher engagement rates than others. Very often, the content that works best for you will be driven by the type of business you run but below are some types of post that have a proven track record of success:

Post videos:

Videos have by far the highest engagement rates of any form of online media and serve as an easily digestible, fast way to spread your message. Moreover, if you use a captioning service like the one provided by Verbit, you can cater to foreign language speakers or those with hearing problems, thereby vastly increasing the potential audience for your content. Captions also work well for people viewing the video at a time or place when having sound just isn’t possible (for example, while at work).

Run a social media competition:

The interactive nature of posts makes them perfect for running competitions and is also ideal for getting your name out there and noticed by your followers’ friends. Common types of competition include:

• Tag a friend: Users are encouraged to tag one of their friends that might like the post content or subject. Often each tag they make will be counted as one entry ‘ticket.’
• Like/comment: The user is prompted to like or comment on the post to enter
• User-generated content: Your followers are invited to post their own content and tag your firm to enter

Feature infographics:

Infographics are a much more informative and engaging way of often presenting complex information in an easy-to-read design. Also, the best infographics have been proven to be highly shareable. 

Hold an online poll or survey:

Polls are a great way to collate user preferences data and get your followers to interact with your pages. Polls can also give you valuable insight into how your customers view your products or services, giving you ideas on how to improve.