Social media has permanently altered the way we communicate with the world around us.
Some believe this change will lead to the downfall of society — but, they said the same thing about the printing press.
The truth is, social media has brought people closer together than ever before. And, when people can connect and communicate better, opportunities arise. This is especially beneficial for business owners.
As a business owner, social media allows you to connect with and know your audience in brand new ways. That said, it only works if you can find the people you’re trying to reach.
1- Understand Each Medium
Before you can start creating content, you need to understand the platforms you’re going to be using and which platforms are worth your time.
While Facebook still reigns supreme in the world of social media, it’s losing steam, especially when it comes to younger crowds.
Visual and video-based platforms like YouTube and Instagram are quickly overtaking text-based platforms. And these platforms are rapidly becoming requirements for successful social media marketing.
Understanding the various social media platforms available is necessary. That said, it’s useless information if you don’t know who you’re trying to target.
2- Know Your Audience
To identify your target demographic, you must first ask yourself, “who do I picture using my product?”
Odds are you already have a good idea of who might have an interest in what you have to offer, but to target that group online you need to define who that group is.
Start with sweeping generalizations. Then, get more specific by delving into other interests customers that fit those generalizations might have.
Once you define your target, you’ll be able to figure out what platforms your customers are using and what kind of marketing would reach them the best.
3- Follow Your Competition
One of the easiest ways to get a grasp on what kind of marketing works is by getting a taste of what your competition is up to on their accounts.
Keep tabs on the campaigns your competitors are running and how their customers react to them. Doing this will also help you get a feel for the best times to post and interact with your demographic.
You can also use your competitors to help gauge what tags or accounts your potential customers follow.
4- Adapt Your Content
Part of finding your target demographic on social media follows Field of Dreams thinking — If you create content, customers will come.
That said, you need to be creating the right kind of content to entice them into showing up.
The content you create needs to suit the platform you’re using. For example, a successful image-based campaign on Instagram may not work as well on Twitter.
You also need to make sure you maintain consistent branding across every social media channel you use.
While you can try to create a logo yourself, you should consider hiring a pro, like StoryBrand Guide, to help you make sure you get it right the first time
5- Use Influences
Depending on who your target demographic is, you may also want to consider taking full advantage of social media influencers.
Influencers come with insider knowledge of how to use their platform and an audience, taking out some of the guesswork for you.