Usually when people are trying to build their social media marketing strategy, the focus is placed on getting likes. There are some pages that will go to extremes to get these likes. Some companies even buy likes and create fake profiles to follow their brand. Are likes important? Definitely. Are likes the best indicator of a brand’s success? Not necessarily.
The Purpose of a Social Media Marketing Strategy
In the rush to get new likes and followers, people often forget about the real purpose of social media: engagement. Social media provides a platform to develop relationships online. People post to interact with others. We like, comment, and share posts that relate to us, and that we feel a connection to. The most important aspect of social media is that it’s SOCIAL. We don’t talk to thin air. We’re interacting with other people.
As a brand, it’s important to remember that your social media marketing strategy objective is to connect with your audience, not talk at them. Gaining thousands of followers does not mean that you’re increasing engagement. And followers alone do not sustain engagement. The reason is that just because someone likes your page, doesn’t mean that they will visit your page again, share your content, or become a customer.
How to Engage Your Clients
Engagement comes from listening, educating, informing and becoming a leader in your industry. A good social media marketing strategy will provide interesting content. This will encourage your fans to pay attention to your brand and engage. Research shows that images tend to be the most shared content online, followed by videos tailored to the audience’s interests.
Which is better: A social media page with thousands of fans but no comments, likes, or shares, or a page with fewer fans but with lots of interaction? Engagement impacts businesses more than fan numbers. It drives brand loyalty and increases word of mouth advertising. Without engagement, your social media cannot build customer relationships online. Visit our social media Pinterest board for more tips and tricks.