It’s become evident that we just can’t escape social media anymore. It’s completely changed how we market to consumers, and it has become very rare that I see any type of business without some sort of social media presence. Think about it – out of the three billion internet users in the world, two billion are active on social media and 40 million businesses have an active Facebook page.
While having a social media presence is very important, that alone isn’t enough. Integrating social media into your other marketing strategies makes for a powerful combo. If you’re in need of some strategy inspiration, here are five ways you can easily integrate social media into your marketing mix.
1.Include social media buttons on your website. Don’t make someone search for your social media accounts. Instead, have social media icons clearly displayed on every page of your website. Make sure that when users click on the icons, the page opens in a new window – that way users don’t navigate away from your site. It’s also a good idea to include social media “follow” buttons as another way to increase your following.
2. Add a social media stream to your website. What’s your favorite or most engaging social media network? Whether it be Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, streaming that content on your website is the perfect way to showcase your company’s social media activity. This also allows you to gain new followers right from your website.
3. Make your content shareable with social share buttons. For example, if you have a blog on your website, make that content easy for your audience to share with their followers with the click of a button. This will increase awareness and readership of your content and improve your visitor’s user experience.
4. Email marketing and social media links. Did you know 7 percent of internet users prefer that businesses communicate with them via email? With that being said, every email or electronic newsletter should include your company’s social media links. Ensure that your employees have links to the company’s social media profiles in their email signatures, too.
5. Create hashtags for special events, campaigns or promotions. Creating a hashtag and encouraging your audience to use it allows for active discussions and engagement on social media. You can easily track usage of the hashtag and engage with your audience on multiple social media platforms.
Do you have any other tips on how businesses can integrate social media into their regular marketing strategies? Let us know in the comments below!