Get Social: The Value of a Social Media Marketing Strategy for Start-Ups

You know you’ve got a great product or service, right? That’s because you’ve likely spent a lot of time and energy creating your business plan and compiling a great team to execute the brilliant idea you have to meet the needs of your clients. But how can you connect with those future customers? In today’s barrage of information, nothing has the potential for cutting through the noise like social media.

The Wall Street Journal back in 2014 reported a study showing that the average American is on social media 37 minutes each day. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, said we’re spending 40 minutes a day on Facebook alone. Connecting with friends, finding information about events, seeking out restaurants and reading news is happening more and more through social media. Just look around you – how many people are looking at their smartphone right now? Maybe it’s you!

This is why all new start-ups must invest in social media marketing to be successful in today’s market. However, many entrepreneurs may find the dynamic nature of social media overwhelming. The key to balancing outreach, time management and budget is to craft a strategy for social media marketing that can serve as your blueprint in a digital world.

What is Social Media?

Despite what you see scrolling through your own news feeds, social media is much more than pictures of cats, political memes and what your friend is eating for dessert (Oh, is that tiramisu?) The power of sites and apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and others is that these networks allow users themselves to generate and share content. What is important to recognize is that this is the very heart of word of mouth advertising.

We’re not huddled around the water coolers anymore – Americans are on social media instead. Studies show that 81 percent of consumers are influenced by the social media posts of their friends. What’s more, 72 percent of people trust online reviews as much as recommendations by their friends. A strong, online social media presence is a crucial tool for the success of your start-up.

What Are the Benefits?

Having an effective social media presence provides your clients the opportunity to share the good work you are doing on their behalf. Imagine your first client is so impressed by your work that she tags you in a status update on her Facebook page. Let’s say she has 500 friends. Those 500 friends will see it, and maybe a few will give it a thumb’s up. Then the friends of those friends may see that post. Maybe they’ll take a moment to click over to your page to check out what else you have to offer. This ripple is the viral power of social media marketing.

Add in advertising and other outreach methods on social media, and you’ll be able to create a buzz while also strengthening relationships with current clients. While a comprehensive marketing strategy should involve a variety of both digital and analog methods, all start-ups need to consider a process for engaging their customers via social media.

What Are the Downfalls?

We know it from personal experience – social media platforms can be real time suckers! You sit down to unwind after work by browsing through your Twitter feed and next thing you know it’s dark out! If you’re a start-up business owner, you don’t have time for that. And unfortunately, measuring ROI can be tricky, too.

The more time and energy you invest in social media, the larger and faster your network can grow. But it’s a balance of priorities. It’s important to pick the social media platforms that are most effective for your market. Who are you trying to reach? If it’s Baby Boomers, no need to worry about Snapchat; if it’s Millennials, well, you might be wasting your time with Facebook. Never try to cover every platform, and wait until a new one has gained a bit of a following before adding it in. It’s very easy to feel stretched thin – both with time and money.

What is the Process for Creating a Strategy?

To avoid feeling burdened by social media marketing, you need to spend some time crafting a plan. Work with an expert who can create a timeline, budget and messaging points based on your projected calendar. Perhaps it would be effective to seek out social media influencers, buy advertisements or sponsored content or add videos. There are many options, and more are coming online every day. It pays to be creative, thoughtful and, importantly, have fun!

Luckily, there are also a number of methods for streamlining your energy with social media. Automated tools, for example, can make it easier to post to more than one platform. With the right tools in place, you should be gaining followers and, more importantly, clients.

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