Social media marketing, what is it?

Social media refers to online websites or mobile apps in which users can interact, communicate, upload and share. You have your common ones: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Then there is the more right-winged ones such as: Reddit, Pinterest, Vimeo, Tumblr and Linkedin.

To use these with marketing the basis is around these three points:

• Informing
• Engaging
• Communicating

You want to be showcasing your goods and letting potential customers or loyal customers (followers) know about what you have to offer or a new product or promotion you are launching. This is also where content and the use of hashtags is so important, correctly applying the right tags, description and title (depending on platform) is crucial.

The correct use of these tag is a form of SEO, getting your message or brand into the right area and being seen by a certain demographic. Putting in the extra effort with nice image designs or small videos where a text based post could have been used makes for a great way to stand out.

Answering questions and replying to your customers or followers is an aspect of social media marketing that when done correctly is ace. This is where the PR part comes in, correctly handling complaints and issues can ensure you dont get a negative reputation which can happen quickly in the online world. Being prompt in responding to queries can net you customers who could otherwise go to a competitor if they get a response quicker.

Finally running competitions is a nice touch, why? well it does all 3 points at once. Make the entry method a ‘retweet’ or ‘share’ this will spread your brand/company/product around whilst informing and creating recognition if your post or content was done well.