Marketing can be monumental. The U.S. Small Business Administration advises small businesses to spend roughly eight percent of their gross revenue on marketing.

Yet this can total thousands of dollars. It is hard to know how exactly to proceed forward. Social media digital marketing is one very valuable strategy.

How does marketing help you become known on the Internet? What are some strategies you need to follow when promoting your products? What kinds of content should you share to develop a good brand?

Answer these questions and you can make the most out of your marketing budget. Here is your quick guide.

Building a Brand

The best way to increase brand recognition in the modern era is through social media marketing. One post can be enough to leave an impact on a potential customer.

Social media lets you build a brand through several mediums. Written posts and visuals like photos are the most common ways that companies reach customers.

But you can make a video as well. A 30-second video that discusses your products is a great way to show your value to potential customers.

You can also create infographics. This can help build your image as an intelligent industry leader. You can summarize key issues with a few bullet points, encouraging customers to reach out to you.

Social media marketing is cheap and consistent. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on one ad. You can produce low-budget content every day and build a follower base.

Being Authentic

Social media platforms are versatile. Many companies try to be humorous in order to appeal to their audiences. This is something you can engage in if it appeals to you.

But you can discuss any part of yourself that you would like. You can talk about your personal background and your connections to your industry.

The key is that you reflect parts of yourself that you actually have. Internet users despise inauthenticity, and they will reject brands they regard as fake or inconsistent. But if you come across as real, you will attract an audience with time.

Encouraging Audience Engagement

You can engage with your audience in several ways through social media. Every platform has a function that allows users to comment or reply to your posts. This is a natural way to talk to your customers.

Polls make your users feel empowered. They can join together to vote on a question relevant to your industry. You can then do something with their answers like providing a free service.

The more you engage with your audience, the more they will feel like you are listening to them. Traditional ways of facilitating audience engagement like focus groups can seem stilted. Social media creates natural conversations that you can react to in real-time.

Promoting Products

The most obvious purpose for your social media marketing plan is to promote your products. Many companies use their social media accounts for the sole purpose of promotion.

It is okay to advertise your products. But you don’t want to do only that. Few people want to follow an account that shares ads and little else.

Mix other content into your social media marketing strategies. Have some content that is informational in nature, describing your industry. Post some content that is interactive in nature, engaging with your followers.

When you are sharing an advertisement, make sure that it grabs your audience’s attention. Explain what the value of your product is and why your customers should buy it. Use visuals that entertain the viewer and generate positive emotions in them.

This may sound like a lot of work. But you just need to follow your local SEO strategy. Engage in the basics and you can increase your sales over time.

Providing Customer Service

Customer service is essential. It increases customer loyalty while limiting turnover. It makes your brand seem professional and limits negative word-of-mouth.

Social media is a great tool for customer service. When someone complains in a comment about your service, you can reply to them right away. You can transition to a private message and resolve the problem in a few minutes.

You can create a giveaway or sale for your online followers. This can make them feel like they have your exclusive attention, increasing your sales.

You can also uplift someone who has positive comments about your business. You can pin their comment in a thread, or you can share their post. This will encourage them to use your products.

Raising Awareness

Social media users want to make a difference. 80% of social media users say that social media is very or somewhat effective at raising public awareness about key issues.

You do not have to support an elected official or get involved in nuanced politics. But you can talk about issues that are going on in your community.

You do not have to produce original content. You can share the work of a community leader, and you can even ask them to post on your page. You can use this connection for an opportunity in the future.

You can then describe how your company helps resolve those issues. This content can make you seem attentive and productive.

The Benefits of Social Media Digital Marketing

Social media digital marketing is essential for all businesses. It helps you develop a brand through small pieces of content you post every day. You can seem more authentic and human around your potential customers.

You can develop a good rapport with your audience. You can advertise your products, though you need to draw your audience in.

You can provide quick customer service without spending any money. You can talk about pertinent issues in your community and develop local SEO.

Turn to a social media marketing company for help. Surfaced Media serves Atlanta businesses. Contact us today.