How do you gain your target audience’s attention to make them your followers and ultimately become your customers? How do you turn a startup project into an income-generating business?
Most people think that it’s enough to create social media accounts and commit to posting daily content to start gaining followers. They also expect that the same followers will be the primary proponents of word-of-mouth marketing for their business, but that’s a tall order.
It’ll be difficult to get the results that you’re looking for if these are the only things that you’re counting on. Daily content publishing alone will not guarantee a strong online presence for your business among your target audience. Not even the best unboxing videos can make a shopper eager to get their hands on the fabulous item if the content creator isn’t using the right channels to reach their audience.
Many content creators and small businesses have had their accounts for years but remain obscure because they’re not where they’re supposed to be online. The question now is this: how do you sift through the peculiar ideas of using social media platforms to establish the kind of online presence that you need in order to turn your audience into customers and your project into a profitable venture?
To achieve this, you need to consider the primary channel that fits the nature of your content or business. Moreover, you’ll have to identify which supporting platforms will help you reach your target audience.
Be in the Right Place
You don’t have to be everywhere to promote your content and reach your audience. The key is to pick the right channel for the type of content that you’d like to share. Keep in mind that social media account maintenance is an entire job on its own, so don’t go anywhere you’re not supposed to be, to avoid unnecessary work.
Popular social media channels
- YouTube is the best place for video content. The more subscribers you gain, the more income you can generate. Tutorials, reviews, unboxing videos, vlogs, and funny videos are the most popular types of content on YouTube. If your content is best delivered via video, YouTube is the place to start. Lear about Youtube SEO to get maximum benefits.
- Twitter lets you keep your audience updated through various mediums, including text, images, videos or a combination of the three to deliver your message. You can also do some self-promotion by using a hashtag that’s relevant to your business and content. If you want to make an announcement, post and update, or reach more of your audience, Twitter is the best place to go to.
- Instagram and Facebook are the best places for visual content. Brick and mortar businesses have started using these social media platforms to promote their products and services. Some business accounts are “shoppable” on Instagram, meaning their customers can purchase their products right then and there like they would on a web store. If you’re a content creator planning to deliver content using images and short videos, or a business aiming to make shopping easier for its customers, Instagram and Facebook will let you do both.
- Blog sites offer you space where you can post articles with photos and embedded videos. You can create more detailed instructional content using text and videos on your blog site, like cooking recipes, how-tos, and tutorials that are better delivered with text, images, and videos. Blog sites can also be used as an e-commerce website. If you are a business that’s looking for a one-stop online shop, blog sites are ideal for you.
- E-commerce websites are mainly transactional spaces and work as virtual shopping centers where people go to buy and sell products online. If you’re looking for a way to make some money selling used technology, pre-loved items, and pre-order goods, e-commerce sites are the places for you to be.
As you can see, you may need to use a combination of these platforms to gain more visibility online, based on where your target market is gathering. The platforms also have digital marketing services which you can take advantage of, so you can further define your target market and audience.
Take Your Pick
Now that you’ve seen how the different social media platforms can be useful for the different types of content and how they can help reach the right audience, you can decide which of these channels will work best for the nature of your business, your content, and your target audience. Remember: knowing what to post and where to post it is key to effective social media marketing strategy and customer engagement. Do this right and with some persistence, you can be sure to succeed in finding your place online and turning your project into a stable, profitable venture in the long run!