The key to success in internet marketing, whether it is done on your website or your social media platform is exposure. “Content is king” is a common saying but it doesn’t matter how awesome your content is if nobody is reading it. Social media marketing plans that will create quality content that will be appreciated and shared.
Because of this, brands all over the internet do all they can to increase their exposure on social media and other internet platforms. There are several ways this can be done. Certain methods such as buying of ads to boost your posts or promote your social media pages are one way to go, there is nothing like word of mouth to get the right traffic to your content.
Most consumers will be more eager to do business with you if someone they know, or trust is willing to vouch for you. Studies have found that 75% of people don’t believe advertisements but 92% will purchase a product if it is recommended by a friend. Word of mouth generates two times more sales than advertisements. Obviously, word-of-mouth is powerful as a tool for exposure, but it is not so easy to get because it depends on what others think and say about you.
One of the ways to get this recommendation is by getting people to share your content.
Most people will not stand by a product or service and share the post except they truly believe in it. Therefore, your content must be top-notch, and it must be something people will consider worth sharing.
Once your content is good, you need to ask your audience to share your post. But as you probably have observed on social media, almost everybody asks people to share their posts. It means you must do a little bit more to get the shares you want.
Below are some ways you can get those shares pouring in.
From the days of TV and radio, consumers have gotten used to having their content interrupted by ads. You would have a movie star, or an athlete promote a product they don’t use or believe in.
With the advent of the internet, and uses of services like ad-blockers, the consumer can use the internet seeing only a fraction of the ads they would normally see. Services such as Spotify and Apple music also offer premium services where you don’t see any ads at all. It is almost as if ads have been totally blocked on the internet.
The truth is, celebrity endorsements still work, and they are only more targeted now. Instead of taking advice from a face they barely recognize, consumers can now take the advice to industry experts with strong reputations.
These influencers are not random faces who just happen to be famous, they are people who have a history with their audience and have been doling out useful information before. Influencers are not only powerful because of the information they give out but because they form a deeper relationship with their audience. This could be done by posting behind the scene videos on their vlog or giving the audience chances to interact with them.
Their content is more targeted and they are known in a particular niche. By having an influencer endorse you, you are not only investing in their followership and brand recognition, you are gaining exposure to a targeted audience. The influencer you hire should be relevant to your product or service.
If you want the audience to share your content, having an influencer they know and trust stand by your brand is a sure way to do it.
To get more people to share your content, be ready to give some things away. You may feel like giving things away for free is not being business-savvy, but the gains are more than the losses. Sometimes you must give something to get what you want. If you are looking for creative ways to increase your number of shares, a contest is a great way to send those shares your way.
You don’t even have to give something so big or expensive away, it all depends on how you plan your social media marketing.
You could keep it simple by offering one big prize for one person. Or you could offer several small prices, so people know they have a higher chance of winning. Or you could mix both methods.
There is also the method of using UGCs; user-generated content. Combining the UGCs and contests could be a great way to get those shares.
UGCs require your audience to participate in creating content and while this may be a bit risky, the rewards can be very great. When your audience become as invested as to create content and send it to you, it will easier to get them to share.
You can also link your contest to the UGCs by awarding the winning prize to the person with the best content.
If you want your audience to do something, you must remove any hindrance to them doing that thing. You must make it as easy as possible. That is why the call-to-action button is vital for social media marketing.
An efficient call-to-action will guide your audience and ask them to do something specific. The more specific the action, the greater the chances they’d do it.
Your call-to-action must be precise, clear and one step. There must be no ambiguity about what you want your audience to do and how they would do it. Your call-to-action will most likely be at the end of your content. Be careful that your call-to-action is not just an ad, but you are making a value proposition.
When you ask to share, give a reason why they should. It could be as simple as ‘share this with someone who thinks they are great scientists’ or ‘share with someone who believes blue is the dullest colour’.
If you are asking to share to social media at the end of a post in your blog, make sure you have social media share buttons there.
Learn more about our Social Media Marketing services: http://arcreactions.com/services/social-media-management/
