Why Social Media Needs to Be in Your Marketing Strategy

With 2015 off and running, can you clearly define your marketing strategy?

In many cases the answer is yes, but others will likely have a hard time nailing it down, be it through lack of preparation, lack of funds or both.

Given that your marketing strategy is one of the major keys to running a successful business, here are several tips on finding the right strategy and why social media should definitely be a part of it:

1. Networking – In today’s ever-changing world, reaching consumers sooner rather than later is all so important. Whether you are marketing Direct TV, Target, McDonald’s are any other thousands of businesses, you need to be networking. By having a social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram etc.) you can reach millions of potential and current customers. From tweeting/retweeting to sharing and pinning, your brand and its message will reach countless consumers;
   
   
2. Price – While you will end up spending money if you hire a social media director/team or outsource your social networking needs, the majority of your social output will be free. Yes, time and effort is of course needed, but you won’t be spending all the dollars you do with traditional marketing and advertising. Some business owners and/or marketing strategists will complain they can’t get a good feel of the return on investment (ROI) with social media, but that is simply not the case. You can put in place analytics (see more below) that will assist you in seeing how your social efforts are progressing;
   
   
3. Consistency – When you have a social media component in play for your small business, you need to make sure that your efforts are consistent. If you’re doing social media here and there, you truly will not get much response. On the other hand, regular social outreach makes you a consistent and relevant player in the world of social networking. Along with knowing who you should try and reach with social media, be sure to set up a schedule of the best times for you to network;
   
   
4. Tracking – Finally, do not use social media and then fail to follow up to see what is and is not working. By putting the proper analytics in place to track your social media outreach, you can tweak whatever is not getting much traction. Taking the time to review your social media marketing efforts can ultimately mean the difference between making a sale and seeing a consumer move on to the competition.

As a marketer and/or business owner, how do you use social media to promote your brand?