Social media is now one of the most important factors in our business. Every time we sit down to do the planning, social media has a spot on the table. It’s not just about Facebook and Twitter anymore. Now you have to post on Instagram. You must be active on LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Snapchat, StumbleUpon – and that’s just the first six letters of the alphabet!
What is inbound marketing?
Inbound marketing is a strategy that helps businesses attract potential customers and leads using content. It uses the information to market your business instead of traditional outbound marketing tactics such as paid advertising and cold calling. The idea is that potential customers and leads find you through search rather than you finding them through “outbound” methods.
The focus of inbound marketing is on creating and sharing valuable, relevant and consistent content with your target audience. It’s a complete shift in the way we market our businesses and products/services because it requires us to make our buyers’ needs our number one priority instead of just trying to sell our product or service to anyone who comes along.
Why is social media an important part of inbound marketing?
Social media is an essential part of inbound marketing because it gives you the opportunity to connect with your target audience.
When creating a social media plan, be sure to include when and how often you will post updates about your business. Posting once a month isn’t going to cut it anymore. Studies show that the average number of posts per day is 14. If you want to have more voice in your industry, consider increasing it to two or three times per day.
Also, keep in mind that different social media platforms work better for some industries than others. If you are going after customers with a lot of disposable income, Facebook might be the way to go – but if you are looking for a younger crowd, consider trying Snapchat.
Make sure to keep your content updated on your business website. If you have a blog, make sure it is easy to find and be ready to answer questions about the industry. Share news articles that are relevant to your company or industry. Keep an eye out for ways to connect your business to trending topics by retweeting or sharing posts from your social media accounts.
Social media and inbound marketing relationship
Social media is an inbound marketing strategy that allows you to engage with your customers and form real relationships. It gives you the chance to provide immense value based on what your audience wants, not just what they need or will pay for.
It also provides a two-directional conversation platform, unlike traditional outbound marketing methods where there’s little room for dialogue.
Another important part of the relationship is that social media gives you valuable insights into who your audience is, what they like and how they act on the Internet. This allows you to create content specifically for them which in turn increases user engagement.
More than half (55 percent) of consumers use three or more social networks regularly, according to a 2021 report from advertising company Ignite Social Media. If you want to reach customers in their own social media circles, don’t forget about the lesser-known channels such as Reddit and Tumblr.
If your goal is to create a loud presence in your industry, consider creating a business page for each social network so you can have a unified social media presence and reach a wider audience.
The relationship between inbound marketing and social media is stronger than ever. In the past, social media was mostly a form of outbound marketing where you would sell to your audience instead of buying from them.
