Did you know that Social networks are the most influential channels When people are looking for inspiration to buy? If you run a startup and want to acquire new customers and grow your brand, you can't ignore social media marketing.
Source: pwc.com
Most startups don't have a large budget for promotion. Social media marketing is not only cost-effective, but it also allows you to reach a wider audience. If you know how to leverage social media, you can improve customer support, increase sales, and increase brand awareness.
Social media marketing for startups:
Social media marketing strategies for startups
In this article, let's take a look at some of the best social media marketing strategies for startups that can take your business to the next level. With these smart strategies, your brand can also stand out among your competitors.
1. Choose the right social media channels
The number of social media channels continues to grow, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Reddit. Having a presence on multiple channels is great, but Select one or two channels What you want to focus on.
If you want to attract the attention of your target audience, you need to make your presence felt on the channels where they are most active. Before pursuing social media platforms, take a step back and understand your target audience. Find out where your startup's target users spend the most time.
For example, if your company sells baby products, your target audience is likely to be new moms and dads. So which social media platform should you focus on?
According to Pinterest, approximately 80% of mothers in the United States use the platform. Additionally, 40% of US parents use Pinterest. It's clear that startups targeting parents can't ignore Pinterest.
It may not be the most popular social media platform, but it's important for startups targeting parents. Similarly, startups targeting professionals may want to focus on a LinkedIn marketing strategy.
You need to invest some time into understanding your audience's online behavior and preferences. Before you start planning your campaign, it's a good idea to shortlist a few of the platforms you want to focus on the most.
2. Produce more video content
We live in a video-first digital environment. By 2022, 82% of all IP traffic It comes from the video. Additionally, live internet video is expected to account for 17 percent of internet video traffic by 2022.
The rise of video is not surprising as attention spans are decreasing. After all, it's more engaging than image or text-based posts. And it's not just great for increasing brand awareness and visibility. It will also help you increase your sales.
In one survey, 64% of respondents He said a Facebook marketing video influenced his purchase decision last month.
When it comes to content type, videos have a variety of options. If you're a startup, you can increase your visibility with tutorials and product reviews. To launch a new product, you can create a live video to give your audience an overview of your upcoming product.
Be aware that social media users are easily distracted. Therefore, you need to attract your audience with an interesting title and opening.
Keep your social media videos short to ensure more engagement.Or you can Upload a detailed video On YouTube, just publish the snippet on other platforms
Food Network uses this strategy to upload videos to their Instagram profile. The caption contains a link to the actual video.
3. Leverage trending topics
The best way to get your brand noticed on social media is to leverage trending topics. Twitter and Facebook make it easy to see what people are talking about. In addition to this, you can also check Google Trends to see what is trending.
For events such as Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day, etc. Plan your campaign in advance. We know in advance that a trend will occur on a certain date. But you need to keep your eyes peeled to know what's in the news.
Once you find a trending topic that aligns with your brand values, we encourage you to join the conversation. You can publish all kinds of content, from simple tweets to creative infographics related to trending topics.
Facebook and Twitter provide complete insight into the top social media trends. You can use that information to create a social media marketing plan for your startup. You should always keep an eye on all the latest trends and see which ones are relevant to your brand.
Patagonia is an American clothing company that sells outdoor clothing. Although the company is a large company, startups can definitely learn a lesson or two from social media strategy.
In light of the global climate change issue, Patagonia provided support to this movement. They publish photos and videos on their Instagram page that talk about climate, sustainability, and recycling.
They not only post about trends, but also take strong social positions. This is a great way to draw attention to your startup.
4. Plan giveaways and contests
The secret to growing your social media account is to give something back to your followers. After all, who doesn't love a freebie? Research by Tailwind We found that Instagram accounts that host contests grow 70% faster than accounts that don't host contests.
This is a great way to increase engagement and start a conversation about your brand. While spreading brand awareness, giveaways also help attract potential leads for your business.
Simply put, when you run a contest or giveaway, you're giving away prizes in exchange for small favors from your followers. You can ask your friends to tag you, like your posts, and follow your page.
To host a contest or giveaway that gets engagement, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Clearly state the terms and conditions for contest giveaways.
- Choose a great gift that your followers will want to participate in.
- Set a deadline that is not too far away. It helps create a sense of urgency.
- In order to maintain transparency, we will publish the winners.
You can also collaborate with brands that produce complementary products for contests and giveaways. Fabletics' New Year's special giveaway featured products from five different brands.
5. Encourage user-generated content
To attract new customers, startups need to prove that their services and products are superior. One way to gain social proof is through user-generated content. It can give your brand some credibility.
If you have satisfied customers, ask them to write a review. Also, Encourage people to submit photos and videos along with your product.
Daniel Wellington features user-generated content on his Instagram page. We also encourage users to use branded hashtags in their photos to increase brand awareness. This social media strategy will help you connect with your audience and get more content for your profile.
6. Use memes in marketing
Digital natives can't get enough of memes. they are everywhere. As long as the internet exists, memes will continue to exist.
It's easy to go viral because it's entertaining and easy to consume. So why not use memes to communicate with your target audience?
Meme marketing is the most popular social media strategy used by big brands. Everyone from Apple to Gucci uses memes in their marketing.
Your startup can easily ride this trend too. Unlike videos or blog posts, creating a meme doesn't take much time. And you can do all the work yourself. You don't need to hire a writer or social media strategist for that.
All you have to do is bring out your funny side. Even if creating your own meme seems like a daunting task, there is a solution.you can take Popular or trending memes And customize it to fit your brand. Get inspired by Ruffles' creative memes shown in the screenshots below.
Give it to me. pic.twitter.com/jCSZYmvPUc
— Raffles (@RUFFLES) June 7, 2019
Meme marketing isn't really rocket science. It's simple and fun. There aren't really any rules to follow, just avoid the temptation to post memes all the time.
When you do too much meme marketing, it makes you look like you're really desperate to get your audience's attention.
conclusion
Social media can be a great way for startups to reach their target audience. Increase your brand awareness and connect with your audience on social media without spending a lot of money.
The key to developing an effective social media strategy is understanding your audience's preferences, behaviors, and needs. Add creativity and innovation to your content creation and you have everything you need to generate buzz on social media.
