Most people don’t know how to use the advantages of social media in their favor, so let me quickly explain to you, in this article, how to use social media as a way to target your audience.
Creators usually use the technique of “like and share my content“, invite friends, and hope that they will reach the stars overnight. What they usually don’t know is that the people following your page need to be the people who are interested in your product. And with that, the most important thing is targeting your audience.
You need to grab the attention of the crowd that likes your stuff. Just like dating, it is better to have 100 loyal customers than 80 ghosts. You are not a ghostbuster.
To help you out with that, I will now present you with the most efficient ways of reaching your target audience through a content marketing platform.
But before going into detail about what to do so you can reach your audience, I should note that your page must be eye-pleasing. You want people to like what you have to offer, and optimizing your interface isn’t that heavy of a task – if you reach out to one of the UI design agencies San Francisco.
With that, it is important to have a color scheme that is included in your logo, a header, photos, and similar things. Putting information about your website and being available most of the time is a big plus as well.
1. Facebook
If you are a millennial just like me, you know that Facebook is pretty much an “old” app. But that platform can still help you grow, it has over 2.6 billion users so, the odds are in your favor.
But before investing in Facebook ads, you must know who your target audience is. Without that, you are just shooting in the dark.
These are the things you will need to know about your audience:
- Age
- Location
- Gender
- Their interest
- Language
By bearing these things in mind, you will reach your target group. And with that, you will be on a great way to become a wrecking force in this field.
Facebook ads can be placed (if using a computer) on the news feed (as a post), or in the right column. If using Facebook for mobile, then that placement will be on the news feed. And since most people use mobile phones pretty much for everything, focus on promoting the ad on the news feed.
Type of Facebook ads:
- Text ad
- Photo ad
- Video ad
When creating a photo ad it is better to use a picture which is a 1:1 square since people will, while scrolling, see the whole picture without having to click on it. So with an interesting caption and an eye-pleasing photo, you will catch the attention that is needed for them to check you out.
When creating a video ad, on the other hand, you need to know that videos should be a maximum of 30-40 seconds long since people nowadays quickly lose interest in long videos (and you don’t want that).
A caption is also needed because you want them to be informed of what the video is about. Make it witty and original. Just like yourself.
Also, take care that both your pictures and videos are of high quality. Do not post blurry visuals. Just like you would not post blurry pictures on your Facebook profile. Blurry pictures never get Facebook likes. Trust me on that!
2. Instagram
With over 1 billion users, Instagram is the biggest platform for sharing only photos and videos. And the key to being a force on this platform is GREAT CONTENT.
Before going into detail on how to be a force on this platform, I should tell you that you need to convert your personal account into a professional one. Now, back to business.
Instagram is almost the same as Facebook, except there are no text ads. All your ads must be photos or videos. With that in mind, the same rules apply for Instagram as for Facebook. High-quality photos, great videos, funny captions, and you are almost ready to go! (do not forget to target your audience).
If you already have a Facebook page, and your pages on Facebook and Instagram are connected, you can create an ad on Facebook, and it can appear on Instagram as well.
The one thing that both Instagram and Facebook have but is more popular on Instagram are story ads. You know when you are watching stories, and BAM there is a sponsored ad. That can be you!
3. Guest Posts
Let me explain what guest posts are. Guest posting is when you write an article for a different (possibly larger) website than yours. With that, you are connecting with new people and putting your name out there. It benefits you and the host website as well.
Don’t overlook this type of promotion. The new audience will check you out if you put your best foot forward.
Now, let me teach you how to engage with your audience, and with their help, get new people to your page.
You know everyone loves shopping, but what they love more than that is freebies. So play their game, to your benefit.
Create games and give out free stuff. That will bring great traffic on your page, and those customers/visitors will likely come back. And with just a bit of luck, you will get coverage and publicity you need.
4. Twitter
Any meme you see on Instagram or Facebook started on Twitter. Twitter is the OG in the online world.
But Twitter as a social media platform is very different than others. You are limited to only 240 characters per tweet to intrigue your audience. While that is not much, with the right captions, you can catch the attention you need.
Twitter’s type of promotion is a promoted tweet. So when it comes to Twitter, it is better to post a link to a website or other social media page, where your audience can see the full thing. You just need to make sure that you get their attention within 240 characters, and you are good to go.
5. Banner ads
These ads are a good way to promote your content on another website. The only thing needed is a banner.
Making a deal with a website and putting your banner ad on it will result in clicks to your page and your content. But one important thing is, banner ads are very short, and you need to captivate the audience with just a few words or a picture.
Banner ads also come in different sizes, and with different placements, depending on your partner website. So it doesn’t have to be a still image. You can use animations and effects as well, which you can always hire a freelance animator for if you don’t have the technical skills yourself. Just not too many so you don’t scare off the potential customer.
6. YouTube
As you may already know ( I hope so ), high-quality videos with a good message will bring you the coins you need. And when it comes to YouTube, there are a few different types of video ads.
The first one is the type that will show up on your YouTube homepage, and usually, they appear after you searched for something. But they can also appear on the sidebar while watching another video. These are called display ads.
The most popular type which we all know, and have seen a million times, is the in-stream ad type. They show up even before we watch the video and are also (thank God) skippable.
But there is a type of ad that is not skippable and it is called a pre-roll ad. These can appear before, mid-roll, and after a video. Their duration is usually between 15 to 20 seconds, just enough to grab the viewer’s attention.
Lastly, the shortest type of ad on YouTube is the bumper ad, and its duration is 6 seconds. Since this is not much, those 6 seconds need to be memorable!
It’s worth considering precisely which viewers you’re targeting with your ads in terms of regional YouTube content. Which languages do you need to connect with people in?
Translating your videos can help you to focus on the right regional connections. You’ll need to be organized with your video translation, working out in advance whether you need transcription and subtitling as well as the translation element. Once you know what you need, the professionals can help you get the most out of YouTube in any language you choose.
Conclusion
The number one and the most important rule for promoting your content is QUALITY. Quality content, pictures, videos, and captions are everything!
So take time to find the right ad to publish, and invest in that. It is smarter to have one quality ad than three that are average.
Also, don’t forget to communicate with your audience. Reply to comments, to messages in your inbox, and be present. People don’t like to wait for too long, and they want to feel important. So take care of that as well.
All in all, with these tips, I hope that you will become the rock star of your field.
