Social media, much like content marketing, has reached the point of diminishing returns. We're all bombarded with constant marketing messages and many of us are learning to tune them out. Remember the good old days when you could just relax without the blue lights flashing, buzzers beeping and bells ringing from your smartphone's constant cacophony of anxiety?
It's becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to reach potential buyers due to the sheer volume of NOISE that clutters the internet and social media. Already frazzled buyers are seeking solace by unsubscribing from email subscriptions and unfollowing social media profiles. Smart businesses like unroll.me are making it easy for buyers to ignore marketing messages by giving them tools to filter their email inboxes. What's a business trying to make a buck to do?
Simple - focus your social media marketing strategy to provide quality content to a tightly focused targeted audience. I know, easier said than done.
Focus your social media marketing strategy to provide quality content to a tightly focused target audience CLICK TO TWEET
Quantity doesn't equal engagement
According to HubSpot's 2015 Social Media Benchmarks Report, the quantity of social media posts has nothing to do with the engagement level of your social media followers. From the report: "Our data shows no discernible correlation between the average number of posts companies publish per week and the average number of interactions (e.g., likes, retweets, etc.) each of those posts receives."
No offense to those of you who own the small dogs who shower me and my chocolate lab with an unending symphony of high-pitched yips as we walk through the neighborhood, but that's how many social media marketers come off. A lot of noise and not a lot of love.
What did HubSpot find that correlates with a higher level of social media engagement? A large audience of social media followers. It makes sense - the more people that see your content, the more likely you are to get likes, retweets and favorites.
How do you build your social audience?
Which leads to the next question. How do you build your social media following? As with content marketing, it's not going to happen overnight. You need to spend time every day engaging with the people you want to engage with you.
You've got to give to get. That means that you need to be the one favoriting, retweeting, liking and sharing before you expect others to do the same for you. By doing that and creating great content that helps people, you will build your social audience.
A good place to start is by following your top 25 prospects and making a point of engaging with them every day for the next month. Take stock at the end of the month and see what progress you made.
In short, don't be the little yipper dog, be the labrador retriever that everyone loves.
Focus is the key to success
The mistake that many new businesses make is trying to be all things to all people. You've probably heard the phrase, "Jack of all trades, master of none." This is true in business as well, particularly in SMB companies. If you have a successful, profitable relationship with a certain size of business in a particular industry, doesn't it make sense to try and find more customers that share the same characteristics?
This applies to social media marketing as well. You will get much more engagement with social media posts that address the needs of a target niche. Talk to your customers and find what they like and what keeps them up at night. Address those issues with the content you create and share it on your social media channels.
Don't forget consistency. Rome wasn't built in a day. Focus on the needs of your audience, not your needs, and you will be rewarded.
Focus your social media marketing strategy and you will be successful. Focus on your target audience by providing them with content that addresses their unique needs. Focus on your end goal of success and don't be distracted by each shiny new object that comes across your field of vision. Spend time every day being helpful on social media and your kindness will be returned in spades. It won't happen overnight, but focus is your friend and it will put you on the path to success.
