Although it is impossible to really know what is in store for the future of humanity, we do know one thing is for sure for businesses: social media marketing. From the advancements in technology to innovations in marketing, a brand’s digital footprint is led by the rapid change and diversity of social media. In this article we have highlighted some key points to better your understanding about how exactly social media data can take your business to the next level.
Driven by Data
Having a data-first mindset is the key to evolving your business. By building a culture that is solely based on one thing is not efficient, however, building a data-first culture, while also incorporating open-minded ideas along the way, is a good place to start when taking your business to the next level. Before a company’s marketing team implements new strategies, they should first and foremost start with social media data. Set goals in which you want to achieve with social media. Examine your target market, gain insight on the data and analytics within the industry, and then commit to strategies and marketing tools.
Identifying Your Target Audience
Determining who your target market is can be challenging. In fact, 43% of all social marketers say a major challenge is identifying and understanding their target audience. With social media, we have power right at our fingertips. Of course, with power comes pressure, so making sure you know exactly who makes up the audiences is an important notion. Monitoring your social media channels is essential part of identifying target audiences. Mentions, geotags, reviews, complaints, and reactions are all important aspects of monitoring your social media. This is a huge part of not only determining who and where your target audience is, but it also helps to identify market trends, leading to a better knowledge of evolving your brand.
The Decision-making Process
Within the decision-making process of a marketing plan, it should be based upon measurement and optimization. This is because these two concepts are certain, and of course, data driven. In order to develop a flourishing marketing strategy, examining the facts must be implemented first. It is important for everyone, not just the marketing analysts, to understand the concept of developing data and how it impacts a business immensely.
Authenticity is Key
Social data shows how users view, share, and engage with your content. This content must be authentic to your target audience. 80% of consumers report that authenticity of content is the top influencing factor in the decision to follow a brand. With social media being such a common practice amongst most U.S. businesses, updating your content strategy and making it presentable and authentic is crucial.
Updating Your SEO Strategy
You cannot form a successful SEO strategy without the use of social media data. It is important to know what keywords your community is searching for across their social media networks. Social networks work just as search engines such as Google and Bing do. You must know the data to ensure you are hitting the mark.
The Bottom Line
Social media used to be just a place to simply connect with friends and family. It is now a marketing powerhouse. It is a prominent path to follow in every industry. Social media is now used for news content, customer service, promotional value, influencer marketing, and much more. That is why community management is more important than ever. Being transparent with your community will create a loyal fan base, which leads to those fans sticking by your side even in distressing times. In fact, 85% of consumers will stick by a business during a crisis if it has a history of being transparent.
Social media is now a global sensation, giving marketers an advantage in identifying target audiences, developing new and improved SEO strategies, and maintaining customer loyalty. However, all of this is hardly achievable without social media data. Although developing a marketing strategy for a new or growing business may take time, following the steps and taking the time will be worth it. With social media data, your business can thrive and be taken to the next level.
Sources:
- Sprout Social: Social Data in Action
- Sprout Social: Data Driven Marketing Culture
- Sprout Social: 2020 Enterprise Social Strategy
- Bright Age: Community Management During a Crisis
- Bright Age: Social Media Marketing Services
- Pixlee: Why Social Media Data Collection is Essential for Marketing