8 FAQs About Using Social Media for Marketing

When onboarding our clients to navigate the ever-changing (and often overwhelming) social media marketing landscape, we’ve noticed some common themes regarding the initial questions and concerns they have. We’ve narrowed those down here with these FAQs about using social media for marketing.

Why does my business need to be on social media?

It’s a good question, with a simple answer: because your current and future clientele is on social media. Cultivating a presence on a digital platform with millions of daily users just makes sense, doesn’t it? If consumers can’t find you on social, they may stop there at pursuing you further.

Social media also gives you a chance to not just attract customers, but to create and build lasting relationships with them through the power of communication.

Read more in our past blog: “Showcasing Your Company Culture on Social Media”

What social platforms should my business be on?

Between Facebook and LinkedIn, Snapchat and TikTok, you might be wondering what social platforms are right for your business. The truth is, that depends on your brand, your goals, and your intended audience.

Of course, we help guide our clients toward the social platforms that we believe will be most fruitful for them.

What kind of things should I post to my social pages?

Social media is entertainment. It’s also informative. And at the same time, it’s an interface to do business. All of that being true, we suggest a mix of these types of content for brand pages. For example, you don’t want to be all business, all the time—so not every post should have a sales pitch. Sometimes it’s great to just share a picture of your staff and what they are doing around the store that day. Other times, you might want to post news or an update about something happening in your industry. Finding the right balance among the types of social content is key.

Read more in our past blog: “Curating Digital Content: Where Do Content Ideas Come From?”

How should I structure my social media schedule?

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Consistency is key when it comes to posting on social media. We help our clients stay on a prescribed posting schedule, whether that is three posts per week, a post every day and so on. Really, your posting schedule depends on a variety of factors, such as how many page followers you have, the platform you are on, how much content you have to share and how people are responding to said content.

Who should manage my social media?

When it comes to the individuals managing your social media, you have options. You can do it yourself; however, the barrier most of our clients face (and the reason they become our clients) is not having time to do so as a business owner or manager. You can have an internal employee do it. Or, you can outsource it to an agency like us. The benefit of working with an agency is having access to a team of professionals trained not just in social media, but graphic design, copywriting, web development, SEO and more.

What technology tools do I need?

The great thing about social media marketing is that the tools you need are likely ones you already have. Do you have a smartphone with a good camera? There you go! At a base level, you could operate your social accounts entirely from your phone or tablet. However, operating at a base level is not necessarily what we suggest. If you really want to see results on social media, then taking advantage of each platform’s built-in tools is the way to go.

Read more in our past blog: “10 Tips for Taking Marketing Photos on Your Smartphone”

What is the ROI of social media marketing?

One of the reasons we are so big on using social media for marketing is that it’s a budget-friendly means of marketing. Remember: social media is free to use. So, if you make a post on a page that has a decent following and garners engagement, that means you’ve just spent zero dollars to reach potential customers. If just one of those people does become a customer, that’s a 100% return on investment!

Even if you are running social media ads, the beauty is—you decide how much you want to spend. You set a budget for a post with the intent to have it seen by more social media users. We work with clients who have a range of budgets—from $25 a month up into the thousands per month. With little required to see a return, the ROI of social media marketing is pretty good.

Should social media be my sole form of advertising?

Ever heard of not putting all your eggs in one basket? Diversifying your assets? In marketing, it can work the same way. Social media marketing should be a complement to your other marketing strategies. For example, you may have an ad campaign running on social media that corresponds to a set of similarly-themed print ads and Google text ads. The more places you’re promoting your brand, the larger the audience net you are casting.

Summary

After considering these FAQs about using social media for marketing, keep in mind that growth is the ultimate goal. A smart social media strategy can prove powerful in helping your brand achieve growth goals while building relationships that will work to your benefit.

Our goal? To help bring some clarity when it comes to your brand’s social media efforts! Let’s connect.

McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page.