The most
important thing for any startup to be successful is to create a loud buzz
around its products and services that too while staying within limits of their
measly marketing budgets. Social media plays a very vital role when it comes to
startups gathering customers and investors in order to achieve success.
Social
media marketing is no longer an optional marketing platform. Over the last few
years it has become a necessity. Brands and businesses are using platforms like
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. to build brand awareness, to generate and
distribute content, to acquire customers and to build an after-sales
relationship. Though most businesses understand
the importance of having a social media marketing strategy, below are the best
tips to plan, execute and maximize your social media ROI:
Before launching your Product or Service
Before
the launch of your product or service, plan your social media strategy. You
need to consider -
1.
What are the primary goals
you’re going to try and achieve using the social media platforms?
Most
brands look at achieving either one or more of the below mentioned goals:
·
Build brand awareness
·
Content Distribution
·
Lead generation
·
Customer acquisition
2.
Once you’ve defined your goals,
the next step is to choose the platform through which you will be able to reach
the maximum number of your target audience.
a.
Facebook
– With over 1 Billion users, is usually the preferred choice of most brands for
building brand awareness and content distribution and lead generation.
b.
Twitter
– With over 302 active users, is a preferred platform for brands that’re
looking to engage the customers on a one-to-one basis and get their feedbacks
and complaints.
c.
YouTube
– If your startup has some spare change and brand awareness is your primary
goal. Then YouTube can be your best friend. You can create high quality
engaging videos/content for users to share and start conversations about your
brand.
d.
LinkedIn
– Unlike Facebook, which is for the masses, LinkedIn is for professionals. It
is a preferred platform for startups that are in the B2B domain. If you’re
looking for investors, advisors or partners, LinkedIn is a platform that you
should definitely be on.
3.
Now that you’ve your social
media accounts live, you should share information of your startup with your
audience. Beta test your products and services with them and ask them to share their
feedback and suggestions on their concerns. Many startups provide free samples
or gift vouchers or premium membership to consumers in exchange for their
feedback and suggestions. This can immensely help you to improve your
deliverables when your products launch. This strategy also helps you spread the
word about your upcoming product or service launch.
Before launching your Product or Service
Now
that you’ve launched your brand, it’s time to up the ante. You need to now
implement and execute the social media strategy you’ve planned.
Content: Use relevant content to build
followers amongst your audiences. Remember, more relevant the content is to
your brand and audience, the more likely it’s for them to share it with their
peers. Create a community of loyal followers; try giving them brand ambassador
status. Since, we always tend to trust the reviews of our friends than that of
a 3rd person.
Engage: Use content to engage your
followers. Ensure you’re listening to their queries, concerns and feedback.
Revert to them as soon as possible. Appreciate their feedback. Reward them for
their time and patience.
Evaluate: From time to time analyze your
strategy. Evaluate, if you’re getting the kind of response and engagement you
had planned. Think, of what might have gone wrong or how you can improve it.
Experiment: Don’t just stick to a
single social media marketing strategy. Be willing to experiment, but don’t
compromise on your brand’s ideology and integrity. Don’t shy away from using
content, which you feel might be controversial. You never know, what can make
your content go viral. Remember, there’s no thumb rule when it comes to social
media marketing strategy. Every campaign needs to be customized as per your
needs, goals, budgets and target audience.
What
are the other tips do you think, startups can use when developing their social
media strategy. Please feel free to leave comments below.
Could be of great help for startups, nice post!
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