Social media marketing guide: 6 steps to a successful social media strategy

Only a few marketing disciplines have developed as much as social media marketing in recent years. Social networks are not only another channel for content and advertising, but also a direct link to the company's own customers.

The growth of social media marketing depends on the continued willingness of customers to use the relevant channel. Various studies have shown that consumer use of social media platforms has not only increased in recent years, but is also spread across multiple platforms and nearly all age groups. More than 72 million people in Germany now use social media on a regular basis - A huge number that shows the potential of social media marketing quite clearly!

For companies social media marketing is, among other things, the art of getting to know the individual platforms in detail, using them in terms of content and reaching the target group in the long term.

What is Social Media Marketing ?

Social media marketing is a subarea of online marketing. In this process, you create content on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and Co. This content should be unique and designed specifically for the respective platform. The goal of social media marketing is to attract attention and interest for your company and your products or services.

Benefits of Social Media Marketing

There is a lot to be said for using social media marketing for your own business:

1. Increase brand awareness.

Since millions of people in Germany now use social networks, many people can of course be reached via them. For this reason, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to use at least one of these platforms to increase brand awareness. Another advantage of social media is that you can direct visitors to your social media profiles directly to your online store.

2. Generate leads and increase conversions

By using social channels to promote and share your products, you automatically reach the right target audience, namely users who are interested in your business. After all, they are already following your account. For this reason, social networks are very good at generating higher leads as well as a better conversion rate and therefore more sales.

3. Maintain customer relationships

If you interact with your social media followers, for example by replying to comments, this will foster a lasting relationship with their customers.

4. Learn from the competition

Compare your marketing approach to your competitors' social media accounts. This will help you determine what works well for your competitors and what doesn't. However, in any case, make sure to create your own and unique content!

When does social media marketing make sense?

Social media marketing can be the right way for you to go if you can "package" your message into a story worth reading through interesting news and storytelling.

So think about the following:

• Do you have something to say that might interest potential buyers of your product or service?

• If so, does your target audience use social media and know about your company there?

By the way, in addition to normal posts, paid advertising is also possible on most social media channels and, depending on the region and industry, can be quite worthwhile, as there is virtually no wastage and you can reach your target group with pinpoint accuracy.

Social media channels: These are the 8 most popular platforms in 2023

The popularity and use of social media platforms can vary depending on the target audience and geographic location. It's important to note that the social media landscape is constantly evolving and new platforms may emerge while others lose prominence. Companies and influencers often adapt their strategies to be present on the platforms that best fit their goals and where their target audiences are active. According to a survey by Statista, these are the most popular platforms in 2023:

#1 Facebook

Facebook remains one of the largest and most popular platforms. It offers a wide range of features, including sharing texts, photos, and videos, as well as groups and pages for specific interests. Users can expect to discover more efficient ways to connect globally and explore culturally. Live streaming video chat and advanced data analytics enable interactive communication and personalized content. For online retailers, Facebook remains one of the best platforms to draw attention to their own products - especially with paid ads.

#2 YouTube

YouTube is the largest video sharing platform in the world and still one of the most important channels for social media marketing. Users can upload, watch and comment on videos. Marketing on YouTube is an effective way to reach a wide audience and spread your brand message. YouTube offers businesses the opportunity to tell visual stories that capture viewers' attention and interest. A thoughtful YouTube marketing strategy can help retailers increase brand awareness, drive engagement and attract potential customers. YouTube marketing can be implemented by online retailers, for example, through their own channel or through influencer marketing.

#3 WhatsApp

Social media marketing on WhatsApp is not as common as on other platforms like Facebook or Instagram, but it can still be an effective strategy in certain cases. WhatsApp is one of the most used messaging apps in the world with billions of users. However, it is important to note that WhatsApp has strict privacy policies, especially related to sending messages to customers. Businesses need to ensure that they have customers' consent to contact them via WhatsApp and that they comply with the privacy policy. Since WhatsApp is primarily a messaging app, the focus should be on personal and direct communication. Businesses should ensure that they provide real value and do not send unsolicited spam messages to make the user experience positive and strengthen the customer relationship. If retailers choose the right strategy here, WhatsApp marketing can have an effective impact on customer loyalty.

#4 Instagram

Social media marketing on Instagram is a highly effective strategy for sharing visually engaging content, building an engaged community, and promoting products or services. Instagram is one of the most popular social platforms for visual storytelling and visual content. Instagram offers a unique opportunity to tell visual stories and build an engaged audience. With the right strategy, businesses can increase brand awareness, generate leads and drive conversions. Merchants can also increase awareness on Instagram with paid ads or via reels and posts.

#5 TikTok

Social media marketing on TikTok has gained a lot of traction in recent years as TikTok has become one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the world. TikTok is a video platform where users can upload and share short, creative videos. However, it is important to have a good understanding of the platform and its users in order to have successful marketing on TikTok. Trend awareness and originality are especially valuable in this environment. TikTok offers merchants the opportunity to connect with a broad audience in a fun and creative way, and collaborations with TikTokers or advertisements are also conceivable for e-commerce merchants here.

#6 Facebook Messenger

Social media marketing with Facebook Messenger refers to using Facebook's Messenger service to interact with customers, provide customer support, and spread marketing messages. Facebook Messenger offers businesses the ability to interact with customers in a personal and efficient way. It's important to develop a balanced strategy that balances customer service, marketing communications and automation to maximize success. However, the personal aspect here is one of the things that makes marketing via Facebook Messenger attractive to online retailers.

#7 Telegram

Social media marketing on Telegram is a growing area that allows businesses to build an engaged community on this messaging platform and reach out to customers in a variety of ways. Telegram stands out for its focus on privacy and encryption, making it a popular platform for security-conscious users. It is important to note that Telegram has a smaller user base compared to other social media platforms, especially in Western countries. Therefore, it may make sense to include Telegram in your social media marketing strategy if you want to target an audience that actively uses this platform and values privacy. However, what speaks in Telegram's favor is its exclusivity and the building of a very loyal community.

#8 Snapchat

Social media marketing on Snapchat focuses on using the Snapchat platform to target a young and engaged audience. Snapchat is known for its short-lived images and videos known as "Snaps." It has a loyal user community, mainly in the teen and young adult age groups. However, it requires careful planning and creativity to be successful on this platform. Snapchat offers retailers a unique opportunity to target a younger audience and create interactive marketing campaigns.

Social media marketing tips: content ideas

Using the following examples, we will show you the many possibilities that social media marketing offers. Post, for example, about:

• New products or special offers

• News from your company (e.g. new trainee)

• Everyday news from the office and the retail sector

• Seasonal and non-seasonal news (holidays, etc.)

• Promotions and competitions

• Own and sponsored events (e.g. open day, summer parties)

Create a social media strategy: Here's how

With the following points, you can create a successful social media marketing strategy to really take off on Instagram, Facebook & Co:

1. Set goals

As with any other marketing activity, your first step for a social media strategy should be to think about what you want to achieve with it in the first place. Your goals could include the following, for example:

• Generate more leads or achieve higher conversions

• Strengthen customer loyalty

• Build brand identity

• Increase brand awareness

• Improve communication

• Find cooperation partners

• Recruiting

• Develop new target groups

• Obtain customer feedback

• Launch new products or services

• Increase customer loyalty

2. Define target group

Once you have defined your goals, the next step is to define your target group. In doing so, it can be quite useful to create a so-called buyer persona, i.e. a fictitious person who represents your typical customer. This persona will help you create the right content for your target group.

3. Determine social media platforms

In order to later play with content on the social networks that are most efficient for you, step 3 is about finding out where the identified target group spends the most time and what characteristics the different platforms have.

Take Instagram, for example: This is an image-centric network that is currently most popular among 20- to 29-year-olds. So you would have to ask yourself the questions here: What is the average age of my target group? Does it make sense for my company or my products or services to present them predominantly in the form of images? etc.

By thinking about these points, you can thus choose the best platforms for you quite easily.

4. Produce unique content

As mentioned earlier, you can definitely take inspiration from other business profiles on social networks, but a Unique Content is still crucial for your success. To do this, use the most exciting features that the respective platform offers and, if necessary, also reach out for cooperation with influencers.

5. Create editorial plan

An editorial plan is a good way to plan your posts and implement them thoroughly. It also allows you to hint at upcoming content to your followers in advance. Certain tools not only help you post content on time, but even allow you to create captions and prepare images and videos.

6. Evaluate results

The first step was about setting goals, the last step is about determining if those goals were met. To determine this, you should check the following social media metrics and manage them if necessary.

8 important metrics in social media marketing

Social media metrics tell you whether your content is performing well, such as:

1. Interactions (number of likes, comments, etc.)

2. Reach (how many people see your posts)?

3. Followers (number of people following your profile).

4. Impressions (number of times a post has been viewed).

5. Video views (How many times was a video clicked?)

6. Profile views (How many times was the profile viewed?)

7. Mentions (When other users tag you under posts, e.g. with @username)

8. Reposts/Shares (For example, if a follower also publishes your post on their profile).

Paid Marketing: Social Media Ads

Paid advertising on social media, also known as social media advertising or social media ads, is an effective way to target audiences on social platforms. Unlike organic reach, which is built through content publications, paid advertising involves placing ads for which you pay a certain amount per click, impression, or conversion. Here are some important aspects of paid advertising on social media:

Platforms

There are numerous social media platforms on which paid advertising can be placed, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Snapchat. Each platform has its own strengths and audiences, so choosing platforms depends on your goals and audience.

Audience targeting

One of the strengths of social media advertising is precise targeting. You can target your ads based on demographic characteristics, interests, behaviors, and locations of your target audience. This allows you to present your message to the exact people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

Ad types

Different ad types are available on different platforms, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, story ads, and more. Choosing the right ad type depends on your message and goals.

Budget and bidding strategies

You have control over your budget and can determine how much you want to spend on your ads. You can also set bidding strategies to optimize your ad goals, whether it's maximizing clicks, impressions, or conversions.

Measurement and analytics

Social media advertising offers extensive measurement and analytics capabilities. You can closely track metrics such as clicks, impressions, conversion rates, and ROI (return on investment) to monitor and optimize the performance of your ads.

A/B testing

To improve the effectiveness of your ads, you can run A/B tests, where you test different ad variations against each other to see which works best.

Retargeting

Retargeting is a powerful strategy in social media advertising. This involves targeting ads to people who have already shown interest in your products or services but have not yet converted.

Creativity and content

The quality of your ads and content plays a crucial role. Appealing and relevant ads increase the likelihood that users will click on your ads and convert.

Social media advertising can be an extremely effective way to achieve your marketing goals, whether it's increasing brand awareness, lead generation, or direct sales. It's important to develop a well-thought-out strategy and continuously monitor and optimize the performance of your ads to get the best ROI possible.

Conclusion

Considering the fact that 86.5 percent of people living in Germany already use social media at the beginning of 2022, it is only a logical consequence to also use the platforms for advertising purposes and to interact with customers. So don't waste any more time and consult our step-by-step guide to successfully get started with social media marketing. You will soon see: the number of followers, reach, interaction rates and conversions will increase.