Get Your Social Media Going [Part 1]

A strong, social media strategy is vital to your marketing efforts whether you’re a small business or a huge corporation.

Why?

Because social media is where your print-buyers are at.

In this two part series, we’ll explore a high-level overview of some easy things you can do if you’re just getting started with social media. Then, in part two, we’ll take it a step further to help you learn how you can really maximize your success.

Are You Missing Out?

According to a recent study from Pew Research Center,

Seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves.

That means if you’re putting off your online presence with an “I’ll get to it when I have time” mentality, you are potentially missing out on two-thirds of the American people showing up to your online doorstep.

What’s the Hold-Up?

If social media marketing is so important, why aren’t more print owners stepping up their game? Usually, it comes down to:

1. Not knowing what to post
2. Wondering how to manage it all

Today, we’re going to tackle each one of those head-on with the following tips to get your social media presence off the ground and flying!

What to Post

First things first, you need content to post. Using content to educate and inform your prospects and customers is an essential part of any social media strategy. If the thought of creating content overwhelms you, good news: you probably have a vast amount of content already at your fingertips. Consider the following:

• Industry-related tips: Each month every website provided by Marketing Ideas For Printers has a new print, design, tech, or marketing tip ready and waiting for the world. Why keep it hidden? Highlight the latest tip on your Facebook or Twitter account with a simple “Read more…” to get your customers back to your website and into your virtual storefront.
• Direct mail content: Use social media to promote your upcoming direct mail newsletter or marketing campaign. Simple text like, “Keep an eye out for our monthly newsletter arriving in your mailbox soon! Don’t miss the article on page three where we show you the impact door hangers and rack cards can have on your marketing campaign.” Or, “Coming soon to your mailbox: Don’t miss our promotion for XX% off your next print order. Can’t wait? Check out at our website today!”
• White papers: Each quarter, you can show off your knowledge of the industry with our Sales & Marketing White Papers. These downloadable PDF files are an excellent way to grab your audience’s attention with tips and tricks that are relevant to them and will help them with their next print project with you. And remember, social media isn’t a one-and-done posting platform. You can highlight the same content multiple times.
• Blog content: Blogs could be considered the cornerstone of your social media presence. Think about it: blogs serve as a content library that sells, educates, and informs your customers for you twenty-four hours a day. Whenever you have your own newly written blog (or a blog provided by us from our social media marketing service), take the opportunity to showcase it on your other social media platforms. Offer a teaser, a graphic, and question to get them to click and read the entire blog. You’ll never run low on content, and you’ll have a constant connection to drive your customers and prospects from your social media channel to your website.

How to Manage it All

It’s important to be realistic about your capacity when it comes to maintaining an online presence. Remember, even though social media is free, your time is not. These tips will help:

• Designate and Delegate. If you’re not finding the time to keep up with your online presence, find a reliable and trustworthy employee that you can assign the task to. Make sure that person has a good, solid understanding in this area and can spend a few hours each week managing, posting, and reviewing content on your social media sites.
• Use Tools that Will Save You Time. Consider using a social media management tool like Buffer or HootSuite that will allow you to layout your posting schedule across multiple social media channels for up to weeks in advance.
• Use Evergreen Content. Evergreen content is content that is always good and always relevant. Start setting aside a collection of blog posts, quotes, and other pieces of content that you can use repeatedly, and that won’t become outdated. Evergreen content is great for days when other content is running slim or for content that is simply exceptional.

How are you using and implementing your social media?