Understanding Social Media Marketing for Businesses | Guest Blog

If you own or manage a business, you’ll have more success if you know how to leverage social media marketing for your benefit. A good social media campaign can not only increase your business visibility, but help you develop a reputation as an authority in your industry as well. Here’s what you should know about using social media to your advantage in a marketing campaign.

What is Social Media?

Social media is made up of many different communications channels that are entirely web-based. It includes applications and websites featuring social networking, microblogging, forums and more. You’ve undoubtedly heard of at least a few popular social media platforms, including:

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• Pinterest

Some social media channels are more effective for marketing than others, so it’s a good idea to use a wide variety of them for business purposes in order to achieve the furthest possible reach.

What Should You Post?

Figuring out what to post is often considered the most difficult part of using social media services. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Run a contest: You’re more likely to get engagement with your posts if you run a contest periodically. Contests are a great way to engage your audience and generate excitement for your brand.
• Recognize Holidays: Make your posts relevant and fun by recognizing holidays (both big and small). For example, you could run a “Holiday Joy” campaign toward the end of the year and post uplifting, holiday-themed posts featuring your products or brand.
• Encourage Participation: Encourage participation on your social media posts by asking relevant questions. For example, if you produce health and wellness products, you could ask “What is your favorite outdoor fitness activity to do with your family? Let us know in the comments below!” Asking relevant questions is a great tactic for encouraging participation and engagement.

Instead of coming up with your posts on a weekly basis, you may want to figure out your posts for the entire month, then roll them out according to your posting schedule. That way you’ll only have to brainstorm for clever ideas once per month.

When Should You Post?

Did you know the success of your social media marketing campaign depends largely on when you publish your posts? Here’s a study-based guide for the best times to post on various social media platforms (all based on the Eastern or Central time zones):

• Facebook: The best days to post are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 AM, 1:00 PM or 3:00 PM.
• LinkedIn: You’ll get better engagement if you post Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM, at noon, or between 5:00 PM and 6:00 pm.
• Instragram: Studies show that Monday and Thursday are the best days to post on Instagram. You’ll get more involvement if you post at 2:00 AM, between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, or at 5:00 PM.
• Twitter: Post on Wednesday at 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM or between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM for best results.
• Pinterest: The best times to post are at 2:00 PM, 9:00 PM or 2:00 AM, Saturday and Sunday.

Remember that you’ll get more engagement if you use many different social media networks to share your posts. If your business doesn’t have the time or resources to effectively manage an online marketing campaign, let Digital Fitness take care of it for you. To learn more about our Social Media Presence Package or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact us today.  

Contact me at j.henslee@getdigitallyfit.com or 608-999-1474. I am an Entrepreneur & CEO with an MBA in Internet Marketing. I have 20+ years’ success in Marketing & Sales and 7+ of Digital Marketing Consulting. I have helped hundreds of businesspeople—from startups and small businesses to companies who have multiple locations, even internationally —successfully market their business online with Branding, Graphic Design, Website Design, SEO and Social Media. I help Business Owners and Marketing Coordinators develop a comprehensive strategy using the internet to grow their business and build their brand. I apply tactical coaching and consulting to educate them or their team on how to use the internet to meet their objectives or hire us as an extension of their business to do the work.

Check out my website at getdigitallyfit.com, where you can meet our team, view our portfolio of projects, and book a free 30-minute consultation.