Startups have started using social media for marketing themselves. More and more businesses are realizing the value of advertising on social channels. The low investment rates and big returns are mainly what attracts entrepreneurs towards this digital method of marketing.

The number of companies making use of social media for promotion is increasing remarkably. Percentage rise in US companies marketing on social media over 5 years time period can be seen through this graphical representation.

Social Media Marketing in the States

In 2019, 91% of the total companies in America are present on social platforms.

As much as a social presence is necessary it is important that you have a good one. Just putting up irrelevant posts 5 times a day will not give you any benefits. In fact, this will reduce the viewers by making them annoyed. Because “quality is better than quantity”. 

Your social media advertising will be fruitful in getting more sales leads only if you have a fool-proof strategy. You need to be parallel with social trends. Besides that, the posts must be creative and different from others. Meaning the marketing method must include the latest trends as well as uniqueness. 

If you are confused, do not worry! Here are seven effective strategies to help you advertise effectively on social channels.

 

1. Hosting social contests

Social media contests have more than one advantage. They increase brand awareness, encourage engagement and help build a community around your brand. It simply drives attention to your products.

Among various types of contests, the user-generated ones are most effective. They get the highest number of engagements. The contest may be based on a single product, your brand as a whole, name or logo, or maybe some trending hashtag in your niche.

The viewers can be given gifts in return of likes or shares. They can also be encouraged to tag their friends in the posts in exchange for giveaways. This method will not only bring fresh spectators but also keep the regular visitors entertained.  

Getting social media users to engage with your page by giving free gifts is an effective method. A lot of contests of a similar fashion can be noticed nowadays. You need to think of a contest that is unique for your business.

Creative campaigns will make you stand out from the crowd of other akin posts.

 

2. Showing evidence of authenticity

Advertisements make statements and show the usefulness of the service.

Advertisements make statements and show the usefulness of the service. Customers are tired of these. You must provide them with adequate proof.

User-generated proofs like reviews and testimonials are the best. When people share with others how your enterprise benefited them it will increase trust among other individuals.

Opinions of past buyers on why they chose you despite lots of other businesses offering the same services. Reasonable price, good quality products, better service, staff manners; any kind of positive comments on your social handles will raise trust levels on you. 

Such comments on your posts will impress viewers. Figure out ways to get followers to post good feedback for your offerings. This method will give you more leads than the advertisement itself.

 

3. Promo codes

Shower the viewers with some love. Present them with a good deal. Give promo codes for short time periods. For example, “use promo code ABCXYZ30 to get 30% off on your purchase this month”.  

Limiting time will make people act faster. You can also allow a certain number of entries. “First 50 followers get a promo code to avail free gifts” as an illustration. Do a little brainstorming and think about your customized style for offering discounts.

Make your customers feel special with great deals. You can also give personalized discounts on birthdays, anniversaries, certain credit cards, or mode of payment. 

Another method is giving promo codes to partnered influencers. They are heroes for admirers. And when such people give away promo codes for your products it adds even more value to the influencer marketing. 

By such a method you can also keep a track of the ROI from the influencer. 

 

4. Visually attractive content

“A picture is worth a thousand words”. It is a very popular quote. Also, it is a fact that pictures are more effective in grabbing attention as compared to text.  

It is better to focus on visual content like images, videos, or gif. Make the textual part minimal. Make it a secondary data that adds value to the visual representation.

While scrolling through the feeds no one has the patience to read each and every caption. But if your image is captivating one might as well read the caption.

Eye-catchy posts will give more views and likes. Try to use as much creativity as possible. But beware not to overdo it. Sometimes, even more, is less. So you can go for a picture or video with minimal design but a unique message.

Bring focus on your product by putting it in real-life shots. Or create tutorials to show how to operate the products. Your aim here is to amaze viewers so that they purchase the product.

 

5. Use branded hashtags

 

Create standard hashtags for your brand. Use unique hashtags for campaigns. You can also make specific tags for a range of products or a single product.

Coca Cola had made #ShareACoke viral through their advertisements.

Coca Cola had made #ShareACoke viral through their advertisements. People had started adding these hashtags in their posts with a coke bottle.

The cold drink giant gave away bottles with preferred names printed on their labels. This campaign became very famous and increased sales of the cold drink largely. 

Customers will share their pictures mentioning your branded hashtags if they are impressed by you. And it may spread to their friends. There are high chances of your product going viral through the branded hashtag trend.

Use this hashtag feature to market your product efficiently.

 

6. Targeted Advertising

Facebook allows for selecting a target audience for the business page. You can target website visitors with the help of Facebook Pixel. Take this to your advantage. Target the right audience for your page.

It is a little different on Instagram. You can select the target audience for individual posts. Use these features to reach the perfect audience. The more the product is relevant to viewers’ needs the higher will be chances of a purchase. 

If you recently made a purchase for a backpack online you must have noticed you are getting lots of ads for the same in your social media feeds. 

This is happening because the sites have realized your shopping preferences and added it to your interested category. 

 

7. Tag products

Tagging products is one of the latest features on Facebook and Instagram. Shoppable tags make it easier for viewers to find products.

These tags on clicking lead to the website where people can make the purchase. For some exclusive brands, shopping directly on Instagram is also possible.

Make the most out of this update. Tag your products in the pictures to make the shopping hassle-free for the customers. 

These tips will aid you in promoting your products on social networks.

 

Share how these tips were useful to you in the comment section.