Age of Social
There is no denying that Social Media has entrenched itself in the daily lives of humans worldwide. More importantly, Social Media has grown from a resource for keeping up with your classmates and sharing cool videos of your cat, to a global forum for promoting ideas and brand-building. Whether you are an independent contractor, a sole proprietor, or a gym or studio owner, you cannot afford to overlook this free and lucrative marketing medium. Yet according to the “2016 State of Small Business Report,” only 80 percent of small businesses use Social Media for marketing, and those businesses who do use it underutilize SEO (search engine optimization), blogging and video. Only 45 percent use Social Media to sell products or services, and 38 percent use it to build their fan base.
Tools Talk
As with anything new, there is a learning curve for mastering Social Media marketing. Thankfully, there’s an app for that! In fact, there are a growing number of tools, many of them free, created to help you track, post and assess your Social Media market. You can create instant surveys with Wufoo, see which of your posts and those of your competitors get most hits with Fanpage Karma, and view which times of day and days of the week your posts get the most traffic. Apps like Hootsuite can let you schedule posts to be released throughout the week, and Tailwind and Followerwonk can steer you toward likely new customers, and much, much more. And don’t forget to use Social Mention to see what people are saying about your company and about topics related to your services.
Being Present
With hundreds or even thousands of posts appearing on the average user’s daily Social Media feed, you cannot afford to skimp on updates. Posting once a week, or worse, once a month, will not draw in the audience you desire. And while most of us are familiar with Twitter and Facebook, don’t forget there are a plethora of other Social Media sites, with millions of regular users. Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Reddit, Flickr, Google+ and Vine are just a handful of the most popular alternatives.
Make It Matter
Resonating with your audience and making meaningful connections is the name of the Social Media marketing game. Make your posts engaging and relevant, but keep them short and to the point. Keep your target audience in mind, and steer clear of offensive language and off-color innuendo. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a short video is probably worth a million. Pay attention to design elements like color, tone, font, layout and images. Remember, you only have a split second to catch the attention of a scrolling Social Media user.
Resources
Want to up your Social Media game? W.I.T.S. has the continuing education tools you need to keep you in the running! Our online Social Media Marketing Series offers seven courses geared to helping you become an online fitness superstar. Topics like Creating Relationships, Attracting Clients, Branding and Increasing Your Presence are all covered. And don’t forget to add your Digital Badge to every post, to let the world know you are the best!
References
Social Pilot: 125 Amazing Social Media Statistics You Should Know in 2016
https://socialpilot.co/blog/125-amazing-social-media-statistics-know-2016/
Wasp Barcode Technologies: 2016 State of Small Business Report
http://www.waspbarcode.com/small-business-report