#05 – Social Media Made Me Buy It

Player not working? Listen online here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Me, at the mailbox almost daily: “Oh nice! I forgot I ordered this!”
My phone, always listening: 😏

In what may be our first and last truly informational episode, we’re breaking down social media marketing for newbies. Whether you’re an established business just now dabbling in the never-ending black hole of social media marketing or a brand new business owner looking for some extra tools to support your launch to success, we offer some free (did you hear that we have a Patreon account now?) professional advice. It is our day-job, after all.

But, in true Buzzdwords fashion, we kept it all *loosely* professional. At the top of the episode, we reveal some of our favorite social media-influenced purchases aaaaaaand some of the most ridiculous. (*Spoiler alert: Squirrels are involved. It gets weird.)

At the bottom of the episode, we chat one of Netflix’s newest releases that we loved to hate: Emily in Paris. #mindthemerde

Your target audience is not all Millennials.

– us. seriously, it’s not.

Taking notes? Use our handy-dandy summary below as a template while you listen!

If you’re looking into social media marketing for your small business, take some advice from the marketing mavens.

Do you have the brand basics?

Spend time on your brand’s foundational toolkit. Don’t fold to the temptation of rushing through these crucial items.

• Logo suite: make sure you have hi-res versions and transparent background versions.
• Fonts, type treatments, colors: plenty of free options out there so select a few fonts and colors and use them consistently. You want people to be able to start recognizing you!
• Easy-to-use website: this is especially crucial if you have an e-commerce based business, the purchase process needs to be seamless.

Who is your target audience?

To target the right people for your business, consider who your end-user is: who are they, what do they like There are many resources available to gather data to give you support in defining your target.

• Be as specific as you can: if you need to, segment your audiences into varying tiers and rank them based on priority.
• Check your analytics: check your Google Analytics audience data or social media platform’s insights to find out who your audience is and what their affinities are.
• Tailor your messaging to your audience: communicate to them how they would communicate with each other.

Which platform to start?

Consider where your target(s) is spending their time online. With small businesses, keep in mind that you do NOT need to be on every platform. Especially when just starting out, spend your most precious resource (time) in the place(s) that will make the most impact!

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram can skew younger – much younger in the case of TikTok. Meanwhile, Facebook can skew older, well into the Boomer generation.

Many businesses find their sweet spots with one or more of the slightly more “niche” audiences of LinkedIn, Pinterest and even Twitter.

Feeling creative?

Copy and visuals work together here. When crafting the right message, your target should be top of mind.

Each audience will more than likely need its own unique message. Would use the same selling tactics with a Boomer as you would a Gen Z’er? Of course not!

If you have a small budget, focus your resources on one target, one platform and one message. Remember, spend your most precious resources (money, in this case) in the place that will make the most impact.

Each platform recommends slightly different specifications: from image size requirements to character counts. There are tons of free resources to help you keep track. We like Sprout Social for a quick go-to.

What’s the end game?

Before anyone even starts the creative, set your KPIs (key performance indicators). Is it video views? Form completions on your website? Purchases? These goals should inform your creative choices and how you set your ads up

How to get the best performance?

Once you’re ads are up, there’s still work to be done. Hitting “publish” isn’t the end!

You’ll want to keep an active eye on your ads. Monitor performance and make adjustments as needed. How you optimize is based on your objective. For example, if you see your result rate start to dip – whether that be video views or clicks – you can always pause lower-performing ads and add new ads to the mix.

No matter the length of your campaign or your individual boosts, keep track of your performance data in some way – over time, you’ll notice patterns you can use to create better performing ad content!

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White Claw Hard Seltzer

Citations:

• https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/358972
• 5-10 years of professional experience