Identifying Your Social Media Audience
Originally published at www.scotchandramen.com.
Social media is the great marketing equalizer. Not long ago, the reach that any given organization possessed was defined almost entirely by their budget. Large corporations could launch nationwide television/radio ad campaigns, whereas small businesses were limited to word of mouth, and perhaps a few local advertisements. Nowadays, a well-crafted and strategically targeted message can travel across the web with astonishing speed and reach.
In order to accomplish this, however, it is important to identify your target audience and build organic relationships across your chosen social media channels. Here are a few tips that can help:
Build Audience Avatars
Take some time to consider exactly who your ideal customers are. What do they value? What problems do they face in their personal or professional lives? What social media networks do they use, and why? Answer these questions in as much detail as you can, and then write a few questions of your own. The more precisely you can define your target audience, the easier it will be to find them and connect with them.
Provide Real Value
Once you have built a couple of customer avatars and defined what social media channels they spend the most time on, you can begin the process of building a connection. However, it’s important to understand that this is more complex that simply sending them a direct message pitching your product or service. Instead, find opportunities to engage with them and their audience in a genuinely helpful way.
Answering questions, resharing quality content, and providing an in-depth explanation of your informed opinions are all good examples of this. Give value rather than seeking to take, and you are certain to stand out from ninety nine percent of online marketers.
Build a Marketing Strategy That Speaks for Itself
In the information age, nearly everyone is overwhelmed with ubiquitous advertising and insincere marketing messages. Customers are also becoming increasingly savvy, and consumer research has never been easier to conduct. Promoting yourself with your target audience’s best interest in mind is more than just the right thing to do — it’s the most efficient way to succeed. By making your brand synonymous with success stories (both for your customers and for the people you engage with) you will create a business whose products and services sell themselves.
Want to find develop a strategy for achieving this lofty goal? Here at Scotch and Ramen, we practice what we preach — which is why we’d be thrilled to schedule a free consultation with you to discuss your goals and make some actionable suggestions.
