Social media is not going anywhere. In fact, chances are if you are trying to reach your audience anywhere outside of email and print ads, social media is your best bet. With that said, it would be in your business’ benefit to make sure your social media efforts are in line with your business strategy in order to attract and retain clientele. Follow people on the most appropriate platforms for your business and produce content that is going to appeal to them. This is the key to gaining leads. 50% of marketing influencers say traffic generation is the most important result from an effective SEO strategy. How do you maximize your ability to gain traffic? Segment and target! We’ve gathered the top ways you can segment your social media from the experts of Florida Realtor magazine. Ask yourself these questions if you are unsure about the most appropriate way to segment your social audience.
1. Do you know your audience? If you can’t answer this, then you’ve got some re-evaluating to do! Begin recognizing who your audience is by seeing who it is you regularly do business with. Examine their behaviors and interactions with your company thus far, and then make some choices regarding “umbrella” groups they would best be categorized in when it comes to targeting them.
2. Are there specific characteristics or behaviors that differentiate your audience segments? Now it is time to divide your audience into smaller segments. Look at demographics and psychographics to better filter your content to reach the right groups. Separate your audience into lists. Certain platforms like Facebook, make it easier to reach said groups specifically because you can choose which ads and what content you want each group to receive. Then, you can target each group differently within your posts.
3. Is your business using the most appropriate platform to advertise your offerings? Segmentation is half the battle. Existing on the right platform for your business and keeping up with it is the other half. Is your audience primarily composed of business people? LinkedIn may be a good choice for you, if so. Is your product or service better off shown, perhaps in a photo or video? Instagram may be a good fit for you. Think about your product or service, think about your audience and the platforms they use the most, and then make sure you are generating content on those platforms. If you are going to be offering promotions, hosting events, generating offers etc., then Facebook may be a good option for you. Remember, it is absolutely fine to exist on multiple platforms, in fact, you are encouraged to do so! Just make sure that your content all aligns with the overall strategy your business is executing.
4. How valuable is the content you are generating? Do you post articles or keep a blog? It is equally important to post content that is personal and relatable to the stakeholders of your industry. People want to feel they are connected with your brand, so it is important for retention to not only scratch the surface of communication but instead, really connect with your audience on a personal level so that eventually, brand loyalty is established. When it comes to email marketing, segmentation is particularly important. A study showed that emails sent to segmented audiences received over 14% more opens than those non-segmented, and over 100% more clicks! Don’t miss out on these opportunities to gain a following.
5. Could your timing and execution be better? As goes the old adage, timing is everything. Anything that would be valuable as content of longevity would benefit your business to be posted in the form of an article or within a blog. Articles are also searchable on the internet and you’ll have the ability to boost them to corresponding groups in order to reach the best segment during times where your information will be most relevant to them. Just make sure you’re boosting for an appropriate amount of time. What’s more, is that articles have the tendency to gain more traction than content produced in a generic post, which could mean more impressions and hopefully, more conversions for your business. Additionally, if seasonal offers are something you regularly partake in, they will be expected by your audience, so make sure you’re on top of advertising these in the right places!
6. Are you integrating hashtags into your posts? Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are the platforms with the most hashtag usage. Keep in mind, hashtags create a separate feed for your content related to a certain topic so your content is essentially, more organized. They also give your posts life. Make sure you’re on top of what is trending in your industry and integrate those hashtags into your content in order to increase potential reach and flourish new and existing relationships.
Studies have shown over 70% of companies gain better leads from an active content marketing strategy plan. In order to effectively do so, you need to establish clear differentiation between your groups! Why wouldn’t you want to partake in every effort you could to positively increase your ROI? It’s a no-brainer. Keep these questions at top of mind when evaluating your audience, both old and new. It is what will make the ultimate difference between a lost lead and a new customer! For further help in segmenting your audience and targeting them appropriately, contact Amaniac Design to help you build your strategy.