Are you still wasting money on Digital Marketing ?

All entrepreneurs, more or less local business owners and young startup creators want to understand how to do corporate social media marketing. Because thanks to this combination of ideas, contents, strategies and interactions you can obtain concrete advantages. Or at least that's how the initiative is proposed.

On social media you sell, you find customers and you can earn . This is the promise that the web makes to those who set foot in the world of virtuous sharing for the first time. If you make a bad move on the board, you risk immediate collapse. Sink right away and realize there is no room for amateurs

You cannot rely on cousins, friends and grandchildren. Unless they're from professionals, that's clear. Because this is the first step to highlight when they ask you how to do business social media marketing : there must be competent agency behind certain actions. But then? What must happen?

Easy to say that to work well on Facebook and Instagram you have to give everything in the hands of a referenced digital marketing agency. But you must have a map to follow, a reference. What are the parameters to evaluate when you decide to bring your business on social media? Here are 5 pillars that are valid always and in any case.

• Define a budget for your sponsorships
• Timing (and related reactions) are fundamental
• Practical Expectation
• Evaluate the words and visuals to use on the internet
• See social networks as a place for dialogue

So, do you want to do business social media marketing?

DEFINE A BUDGET FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIPS

Whether it's on Facebook ADV , Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, it makes no difference. Or rather, the differences are there but I imagine they contemplate your needs and those of your target. But also of the digital marketing strategy you are referring to. What is needed, of course, is the reference budget .

You can't do a good job of corporate social media marketing without some online advertising. Or at least the belief that you cannot proceed at zero cost on the sponsored front.

If you want concrete results (sales, leads, engagement) you need to promote posts . Organic reach is an increasingly vague memory, if you need results you have to invest and measure the numbers in the best possible way.

TIMING (AND RELATED REACTIONS) ARE FUNDAMENTAL

Do you want to understand how to do social media marketing for companies? You have to take seriously the idea of ​​where to reduce the time to action . Today people expect quick and effective reactions, you can't think of being able to do customer care service on Facebook by postponing the answers for several hours. Maybe days.

Timing (and reactions) are always fundamental

It does not work like this. You are working to anticipate the failure of your brand on social networks in a clear way. Without the possibility of appeal. As you can see from this graphic from sproutsocial.com , the expectations of the public are different. Even if companies continue to do differently.

Practical Expectations

Do you want to sign up on every social platform that promises visibility, fantastic communication experience, relationship with customers and lots of fun? This is not necessarily the right solution, it begins to be present where your customers are. And where you can express your potential.

All this must be thought of from a strategic point of view . It is not enough to register to get good results, if you want to do social media marketing for your corporate universe you have to preside over the right places.

Taking care of the profile, the editorial calendar and communications. Obviously the promotions. Can you do this for each social network guaranteeing maximum quality of the result? Better to cut the dead branches.

EVALUATE THE WORDS AND VISUALS TO USE ON THE INTERNET

Problem much felt by most of the large international companies, but the small UAE businesses often still find it difficult to understand the centrality of language. And some visual codes.

But above all of how this is linked with good communication that takes into account the individual sensitivities, the differences and the moods of the public. What seems irony to me can be an offense to others.

Yes, it's true: we are on your Facebook page but you cannot move as you think. because these claims lead to the damage we know well: social media fail that translate into disasters for the brand. Let it be clear: a good crisis manager can buffer, but it is better not to enter these dynamics.

Because they are unpredictable. And then the company that does not have the sensitivity to dose the words often ignores the importance of a timely action to avoid collapse. Worsening the situation more and more.

SEE SOCIAL NETWORKS AS A PLACE FOR DIALOGUE

And not just a megaphone in which to shout out the latest offers, discounts and bargains. The newsboys have a short life on social networks and the same goes for companies that do not take into consideration the idea of ​​being able (and having to) communicate with the public when they decide to take to the public square.

How to do business on social media marketing

You do not have time? Don't you think all this is necessary? Let's start with a famous and well-known concept exposed by the Cluetrain Manifesto : markets are conversations and organizations enter the market.

You have to build and create benefits comment by comment . Just like big companies like Emaar Properties do, which obviously have a lot of resources. But also a greater amount of conversations.

SO, DO YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING?

The concept: You have to follow the value you can give to the people you want to interest. You don't have to see social media as a shouting and shouting tool to reach the contacts that interest you. And you don't have to pretend that you can do what you want just because it's your channel.

Here you are not at home, it is not your company shed and not even the page you buy in the local newspaper. You are in a digital world , visible and exposed to the judgment of the public. You must always be there and to the best of your potential Reducing response times and investing the right amount. So where do we start?

Header image by Matthew Brann