Although the consensus in the media seems to state that social media is right for everyone, when it comes to hiring a social media agency and paying for social media marketing (SMM), clients aren’t always convinced that social media marketing has intrinsic value. To put it bluntly, social media marketing doesn’t have intrinsic  value…an SMM strategy will only bring as much value to the table as the strategy behind it allows. Posting non sequitur photos of the weather or a company party won’t bring in sales or help customer outreach. A good social media campaign should grow your reach exponentially. Take a look at the results one Colorado social media marketing client received in the first month of hiring us to manage their social media. Their direct & organic traffic is reaching seven states. Their social media traffic is reaching thirteen.

map of direct and organic traffic

Direct & Organic Search Engine Traffic

map of social media traffic

Social Media Traffic

 

None of this is to say that site owners shouldn’t pursue a social media marketing strategy, but here are a few tips:

Start with a Goal

Every online marketing campaign should have a clear goal. It can be a simple as opening a new traffic stream for existing goals, but clear goals should come before hiring a social media marketing firm.

Use Rich Content

Pictures and video work better than plain text on social media. Show  your customers your products and services and they will be more likely to engage with you via social media.

3. Measure the Results

Everything is trackable these days, so work with a social media marketing company who can tell you how many leads, calls or sales you received. If your SMM team isn’t tracking, they aren’t trying.

Hopefully these tips will help get your SMM initiative started. As always, if you have questions about online marketing in any of its forms, get in touch.