Social media marketing requires a business to step out of its comfort zone. Over 90% of the businesses in the US use social media for marketing. What began as an entertainment platform has now evolved into a powerful and competitive marketing tool, transforming the lives of businesses and consumers alike.
But after they start running, 20% fail in the first year, while 50% of the small businesses lose their edge in the fifth year. There’s more to just survival in the ultra-competitive ring: it’s more about marketing with the best strategies, even if you haven’t got a dollar on you. With a startup small enough and a tight budget, you still need to invest in social media marketing and advertising. What you’ll be investing is your time and knowledge, not lump sums of money. Here are a few social media marketing strategies that help you etch the mark, even if you put a coin in or not.
Create Mutual Benefit Partnerships
When you collaborate with a professional or another ‘sister’ business that complements your services or products, you both exchange opportunities to promote each other’s services. For instance, if you run an event planning service, you will recommend your clients to go for a particular catering service, which is your business partner.
The catering service will promote content on their social media and will likewise encourage you to the clients’ advantage. Word of mouth goes a long way, and customers find it easier to find related services in one place.
Run Contests And Referral Campaigns
People usually love contests and giveaways. You get publicity for whoever comes across your offers. Holding contests with cash prizes, your newly-launched product, or a tech gadget gives you a vital edge to attract your audience. You can also run a referral campaign or make sure fans become brand advocates on your social media.
You can also run a day-long ad campaign on your preferred social media channel, and you’ll see how people flock to your brand’s page. Just keep it all sounding professional and captivating.
Get User Generated Content
Of all the oldest social media marketing techniques, using the audience’s experiences with your product works like a charm. For instance, if you’re a tourism service, you can showcase personal images of travel packages uploaded by your customers. Or, if you’re a luxury brand, you can ask your customers to share their photos with a branded hashtag.
Employing user-generated content allows you to build brand credibility without having to put much money or effort in. It’s a low-cost idea that helps you increase your sales and brings your fans into the limelight.
Share Your Experiences In Detail
Where you stand today is somewhat because of the lessons you learned along the way. Your experiences matter and can prove to be a source of guidance for others. Share your experience, your struggles, challenges, risks, success recipes, and tips in the form of a mixed-media format. If you see people asking for guidance, answer their queries. If someone is asking a question related to your niche, you can provide them the accurate insight. If someone is stuck in a rut, you can help them as per your experience. In all, your engagement and valuable input will help you attract the potential audience.
Interact With Influencers In Your Niche
Commonly, businesses spend at least $1,000 on influencer marketing. But that does not guarantee overall success. These influencers are power players on social media and can shape the market for you.
Become friends with them. But wait. Keep the nano- and micro-influencers in view and leverage their potential to connect with a loyal audience. You can always connect with them on a personal level and help grow each other mutually.
To conclude, social media is still a channel that holds massive potential. If you’re worried about not having to invest much, we hope that the social media marketing strategies listed above will help you gain your edge.
