Three Important Tips for Maximizing Social Media Marketing Returns

Social media marketing might be one of the hottest trends among businesses large and small. Done poorly, it can be a waste of time at best, and a significant drain on resources at worst. If social media marketing isn't generating significant returns, the chances are there is something wrong with the way it is being executed. So how can businesses ensure that they aren't spinning their wheels with their social media marketing, and are generating the absolute maximum revenue possible for their efforts?

1) Shift focus from quantity of followers to quality of followers.

There are few things more satisfying than watching the number of retweets or Facebook likes on a post or page go up. Unfortunately, on their own, these interactions don't generate any revenue. By shifting the focus away from simply generating more and more interactions and towards generating connections and interactions that are likely to bring in revenue, a business might find itself with fewer followers. The ones they do have, however, will generate far more revenue and require less time and effort to manage.

2) Post content specifically designed to generate revenue.

Businesses love posting content that has high share potential and might bring in more likes or followers, but far too often they forget to post content that has a high potential to actually earn them money. The entire point of social media marketing is to make money, and all of those followers are worthless to a business if they don't result in increased revenues. Coupon codes, sales announcements, links to new products, and special offers for followers are all simple ways to send out promotional content. Entertaining and informative content should still be posted the most, but shouldn’t be the core of the page.

3) Track the effects of postings on revenue as much as possible.

There isn't a way to know if social media efforts are working to generate revenue if the end results can't be tracked. Just posting a link or offer might generate more sales, but without proper tracking, there isn't any way of being sure where those sales came from. Social media marketers should look for ways to link their social media postings to real world revenues, whether it be using special coupons or promotional codes only available to followers, special links just for use with social media, or other distinctly manageable ways.

By ensuring that they use their social media smartly, companies who choose to engage in social media marketing can ensure that they are extracting every dollar they possibly can from their efforts. The most important aspects of social media marketing are shifting focus from quantity of interactions to quality of interactions, posting a sufficient amount of content designed to generate revenue, and making the effort to accurately track which of their social media posts are generating sales. By doing so, social media marketers can sleep soundly at night knowing that the work they put into generating followers and building communities is being repaid with real dollars and cents.

I am regularly discussing business life, strategies, and decisions with other entrepreneurs. Whether you facing an existing obstacle, or perhaps an ongoing concern, sometimes an outside viewpoint that otherwise may not have been considered may be the difference of where your company will be headed tomorrow. The approaches to making decisions and strategizing your business is almost unlimited. If you would like further ideas or guidance, feel free to contact Jim Schmitz for additional information by submitting this contact form. Jim will be in contact with you promptly.

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