How to integrate Social Media into your marketing strategy ?
More than 53% of the world’s population will be using social networks in 2020, that is to say more than 4 billion users ! This rate increases from year to year. In France, we are connected to our accounts on average 2h30 per day. With all these figures in mind, it seems obvious that entering the digital market represents real opportunities for companies.
How to integrate social media in its marketing strategy and what benefits to get ? Here is everything you need to know about professional social networks.
How to define a social media strategy ?
The strategy social media of a company is the implementation of specific actions on social media, always with the aim of achieving its commercial and marketing objectives. Effective in the short term, the social media strategy social media must also be thought of in the long term: in order to adapt to the futurerapid evolution, In the sometimes unstable world of social networks, the company must be very reactive.
To know more what marketing strategy to adopt in social media, the company in question will first have to :
- define the business and marketing objectives to realize on social networks (measurable thanks to numerous indicators);
- How to rely on market studies To know your current competitors and position yourself against them; to study current trends and choose the right social media; to segment and know your consumers, their needs and desires;
- to gather its resources (human, material and immaterial): which tool or software to use ? Which employees will be concerned ? Do they need to be trained in digital and digital tools? ? Is it necessary to get computer equipment ?
- integrate the mobile marketing to its strategy social media strategy : more 98% of social network users connect via their mobile. The content broadcasted must be worked, of quality (relevant and useful information), clear, design and readable on a smartphone (responsive) for an optimal user experience;
- vary the messages relayed so as not to bore Internet users: informative (history, values, anecdotes), tutorials, photos/texts, contests, prize draws, news (annual events such as Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.).) ;
- establish a editorial calendar content publications: with reliable and regular posts, the community will be there and will even look forward to the next publication;
- optimize its website and its social networks for a better referencing (SEO, choice of photos, description and complete information of the company, etc.) ;
- continuously adapt their strategy to the evolutions of the digital world.
Once this assessment is established, the company will be able to define a marketing strategy prepare an effective action plan (budget, time, resources, etc.).).
Why integrate a social media strategy ?
Integrate a strategy social media to its global marketing strategy is a key issue for a company that wants to “stay in the race” without being outdone by competitors more involved in social networks. This strategy also represents many other advantages:
- more visibility : nearly 76% of French people used social networks daily in 2020 (a figure that is constantly increasing). The company’s impact will be easier and more regular with its acquired targets (with loyalty) and it will also be able to reach potential customers thanks to sharing and massive distribution (no geographical limits for example);
- image enhancement To achieve its commercial and marketing objectives, a company can also combine a marketing campaign with an effective and controlled communication, easy to access, offering the user a pleasant experience;
- reduction of marketing costs (social networks are mostly free), increased engagement, conversion and ROI;
- time saving thanks to the use of programming tools for example and the implementation of a solid editorial calendar ;
- permanent quantitative and qualitative analysis of the consumers (profile, needs, demands, etc.).), in real time, thanks to the numerous statistics available (chat, click rate, number of “likes” and shares);
- differentiation from the competition, bringing a real added value, reinforcing the e-reputation of the company, the confidence of the Internet users and thus, improvement of the customer relationship ;
- watch constant monitoring of the market, its trends and developments;
- increased traffic digital enterprise.
Social media are numerous and varied. The choice of the platform is very important and depends on the use that will be made of it, according to the objectives and the targets defined upstream: sharing (sharing) like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram ; networking (networking), very useful to establish network marketing such as LinkedIn; discussion and chat such as Skype and Messenger; publishing (publishing) like WordPress; collaboration (collaborating) like Slack.
To reach its commercial and marketing objectives, a company can also combine a marketing campaign with a marketing campaignemail marketing to its strategy social media.