Facebook is still the most used social media advertising platform based on user count. By Q1 2020, it had 2.6 billion monthly active users. It’s also the most used platform by both consumers and marketers according to the Sprout Social Index XV. Empower & Elevate. The platform was used by 89 percent of marketers, while only 83% of respondents were able to use it.

Although it is natural to assume that you should be present on every platform, this can prove counterproductive if you don’t have a strategy. Instead, you should focus on the platforms that are most popular with your target audience. Each business will have its own preferences about which platforms are best. Our guide will help you choose the best social networks to promote your business.

This will depend on the audience. You should post at least one blog post per day. However, it is worth examining whether posting more frequently will improve your performance. After you have established a publishing schedule that you like, you can start to follow it.

Organic social media is free content such as posts, photos, videos, memes and Stories. All users, brands and businesses, can share information with one another on their social media feeds.

If you are a brand and you post organically on your account, you can be sure that these people will see it.

• Your followers are a percentage (a.k.a. Your ‘organic reach.
• If people share your post, they will follow you.
• You can follow any hashtags that you use by others

Although it sounds simple, organic social media is the core of any media marketing strategy. It’s the best method to build a relationship with customers at scale.

Brands use organic social media to:

• Identify their voice and personality
• By sharing information, entertainment, and/or inspirational content, you can build relationships.
• Engage customers at all stages of the buying process
• Support their customers with customer support

Paid social media can also be called social media advertising. This is when companies pay money to Facebook and Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Twitter, and others. To have their content shared with targeted audiences that are most likely to be interested in their content, they can either “boost” their organic content or create unique ads.

According to eMarketer, paid social is seeing a rebound following the uncertainty of 2020. Not only have users increased their time on social media but they also are more comfortable shopping online via eCommerce and social media stores. Social media advertising seems more natural on social media, especially when they’re designed with care.

B2C retailers aren’t the only ones focusing on social media advertising. Social media marketing is more effective than organic content for brands to reach new audiences via social media and convert them into customers. Paid social media promotion is a tool that businesses and organizations can use to:

• Increase brand awareness and attract new customers
• Promote their latest deal, content, or event.
• Get leads
• Drive conversions (including eCommerce sales)

Yes, you can! Using organic to delight and serve your customers while also attracting new clients with paid ads is the foundation of most integrated social media strategies.

Here’s how:

1. All promotional posts do not need to be paid

First, only pay for social media advertising if they are able to help you reach your business goals. Social media is not always about ads. And even though they are, remember the power of well-crafted organic posts that people want to share.

When you announce something new, such as a partnership, pivot or a new version of your flagship product, it is important to inform your existing followers. An original, creative and organic social media marketing campaign can generate buzz on its own. If it’s important enough, create a compelling post and pin it to your profile.

It’s possible to open your (corporate) wallet if organic activity doesn’t get the attention or reach you want.

2. Optimize your best organic content

The top-performing posts don’t serve only to boost your vanity metrics. The easiest way to get into paid social media advertising is to find content that resonates with your audience and then pay to have it shown to new people.

This social media service tactic is considered entry-level because it doesn’t require you to create an ad or a social media promotion. Most social media professionals will tell you that once they see success, it’s time for them to invest in it.

You could, for example, allocate a small budget to the top monthly or weekly post when you run your analytics report. Pay attention to more than just likes. Consider conversions, profile views and other metrics.

3. A/B testing can optimize all your posts

Split testing is something we hear all the time. However, it’s a step we see too many people skip.

To test whether your ad is worth the money, you can run it with a smaller audience before you spend all of your social media budget. You can test your CTA, copywriting, visuals, as well as the placement, format, targeting, and audience targeting. It is also possible to test it with different demographics (age and location). Before you spend more, it is worth testing the ad among different audience demographics (age, location, etc.). This has two benefits: A more memorable, entertaining and successful advertisement for your audience is also cheaper for you.

You can also set up manual split testing for organic posts and track the results using the UTM parameter in your links. You can coordinate with your social media manager to set up AB tests.

4. Your ads should be targeted to people who are similar to your organic audience

Your social media presence will grow organically. This will give you more information about your ideal customers or audience. What is their location? What age are they? What interests them? What are their problems? What can you do to help them?

As you create your ads, take advantage of all of this information. This is where your hard work in building relationships with your audience really pays off.

Many social media platforms allow you to create like audiences from your top customers. These could be your newsletter subscribers, people who have viewed your content or who bought a product within the past year. People with similar demographics and behavior will make up a lookalike audience. However, they have not been introduced to your brand.

5. Retargeting ads can be used to keep in touch with your organic audience

Because you reach out to people who know your business, retargeting campaigns can be very effective and cost-effective. These are often people who have found your website or social media pages organically. They might have visited your website or profile, or abandoned shopping carts.

They may need to be reminded to convert again, and the right social media advertisement can help them do that.

6. Take a look at your data and determine the results

It’s painful to watch a social media promotion fail, whether organically or paid. But if you pay close attention to your social analysis tools, you’ll see where you need to make improvements to improve your results.

7. Automate as much of your work as possible

When combining organic and paid social, the bottom line is that you get more: more money and more time.

It doesn’t matter if you are a consultant working in a small team or large group, the important thing is to focus on the things that really matter. You can automate as much as possible of your daily workflow:

• Plan your organic posts well in advance
• Streamline the approval and copyediting process
• For boosted posts, set up custom triggers

Increase your brand’s credibility

A simple social media account with the help of our social media company is enough to increase your brand’s credibility. Your business doesn’t have a social-media account or it isn’t updated regularly, and it can have the same effect as a brick-and-mortar store that’s abandoned and collecting dust. It does not give a positive impression and can cause customers to question your business’s ability to operate because buyers are now able to “check out” their social media. This is how vital social media has become for businesses.

If you work with a social marketing agency such as Digital Specialist Co., you can do more than just have a social network account. While a social media account can be a step in the right direction for increasing your credibility, think about what a powerful, strategic social media marketing plan can do to establish your credibility online.

Attract a targeted audience

We mentioned earlier that social media is used by billions and that the average person has 8 accounts. Because you don’t want your followers to just be any kind of person, it is important to be able to search through the ocean of people online to find your target audience. Potential customers are what you want!

How do you achieve this? Start by choosing the right social media platform for you. Every social media platform attracts different types of people. Facebook users are almost evenly divided between males and females, while Pinterest users are more female-oriented. To determine which social media platform is best for you, first identify your ideal customer.

Which platform holds the largest percentage of your target audience’s attention? After you have chosen the social media platforms that you wish to use, you can target your audience using additional targeting options offered by each platform. You can filter the user base of a platform and target them by interests, demographics, and other criteria. This will ensure that social media content is reaching the right audience.

Have direct access to your customers

Every second of every day, social media is a place where conversations and engagement take place. Social media is a powerful tool for businesses because it allows them to interact directly with customers. If someone purchases a dress from your shop, they will likely take a picture with it on and post it on Instagram. Your brand can then comment on the photo, like it and share it on Instagram. This media marketing builds brand loyalty and shows that customers value your brand.

Let’s take another example. Let’s suppose that a shipping mishap occurs and that a customer lets you know via social media. You can quietly offer a solution to this customer, and take care of their needs via private messages on social networks before they publish negative reviews about your business. Direct access to customers gives you the ability to monitor their needs and provide solutions. Customers feel like they are connected to your brand and have more trust in it.

Improve your SEO rankings

Remember how we mentioned earlier that social media marketing services are most effective when they complement your other marketing services, and vice versa? Here’s an example. SEO refers to the process of getting your site to rank higher in search engines such as Google.

If you are a muffin shop in Toronto, SEO would ensure that your website appears as the first search result for “muffin shop Toronto”, on Google. SEO is the process that allows you to do this. You can read more about our SEO  social media management service here.

What does social media marketing have in common with SEO? Google considers hundreds of ranking factors when deciding which websites should rank first. Google will place more importance on your website the more backlinks that you get from social media. This is because people are sharing your content and talking to your business.

What is a backlink? Backlinks are links from other websites that link back to your site. Google considers backlinks very important. While you are implementing your social media strategy, you can also help your SEO efforts.

Increase ROI

This is the best benefit! Although social media management is more about driving traffic to your website, it’s important that you see how those visitors convert into customers. This means targeting the right people at the beginning and building your online presence with a well-planned social media marketing strategy.

Digital Specialist Co. is a social media marketing company that understands the importance of social media marketing. We are able to focus on engagement and followers while still focusing on the ROI.