Interest in social media marketing has exploded in recent years, but most experts might just confuse you with their complicated jargon. If you want to boost your website traffic, build a reputation as an industry leader, and attract more clients, you probably don’t care about complicated terminology and psychological theories. What you need is a specific, step-by-step plan that will turn your time and energy into measurable results.
The following five steps will get you started toward social media marketing strategy using LinkedIn as your platform.
- Set up your profile. First of all, it’s important to remember that your contacts on LinkedIn will assess you by what is written on your profile. In fact, your LinkedIn profile may also come up in search results when potential clients research you. So fill out that profile completely, and make sure it accurately reflects the image you want to project as a business person. Include a professional picture to help prospective customers feel as though they know you.
Join groups that support your goals. Spend some time searching for local or special interest groups, and join them. You’re going to use these groups to network, so join the ones with a large membership roll, or the ones which specifically appeal to your target demographic.- Connect. Use the special search features on LinkedIn to locate people who fit your desired target demographic. Keep in mind that you will be providing these people with useful information, so connect with members who are likely to value your content.
- Post links to your blog or videos. If you expect to find any success in online marketing, providing relevant and helpful information to your prospective customer base is absolutely essential. Otherwise, how would you capture their attention? You should do this by posting regular blogs to your website, or creating Youtube videos which demonstrate your expertise as a business person. Post links to these blogs and videos on your LinkedIn profile, and in any relevant groups. Your website traffic will increase, and your online exposure will skyrocket.
- Analyze your results and adjust your practices. This is how you find out whether your social media marketing strategy is working. Use Google analytics to track your website traffic. How much interest are you capturing from LinkedIn posts? Did your website traffic increase? Which topics seem to attract the most interest? Asking yourself these questions will lend valuable insight into what works, what doesn’t work, and what could use a bit of tweaking. You may need to make changes to your content, or you could be posting in the wrong LinkedIn groups. Be prepared to adjust your strategies in response to your results.
Keep in mind…
Using social media platforms to promote yourself is just one form of online marketing. The basic tenets of online marketing still hold true: Your primary focus should be on giving something of value to your prospective customers. Provide them with relevant, useful information on a regular basis, and you will build loyalty and interest in your business. You will then earn the privilege of reaching out to your audience in a more direct and targeted manner. Keep this principle in mind as you implement your overall marketing strategy.
