For most small businesses, social media marketing can be a game-changer in modern society, but a lot of industries are slow to hop on the bandwagon. Without utilizing the several available platforms and tools, you risk losing significant revenue and consumer expansion.

It might seem a little intimidating at first to jump into an unknown scene dominated by tech wizards, but it's a lot easier than it looks! Anyone can become a master at social media marketing and learn how to take their business to the next level.

An Easy 6-Step Process

Planning - Choose your goal, action plan, and desired platforms

It's a big world out there on the net, so come to the party fully prepared. You'll first need to figure out what you hope your social media accounts can accomplish for your business. Maybe you want to set a goal for a new client count or increase the average of hits your web page gets a day. Perhaps you're just hoping to build a better relationship with your audience. Whatever you want to achieve, make sure you have your goals clearly outlined and keep them in mind as you move forward.

Once you have your goals set up, consider how you'll reach them. Create milestones to track your progress for the future, like a follower count goal or getting influencers and brand ambassadors onboard. Start thinking of ways to push this goal into reality by offering give-a-ways, discounts, codes, or commenting games for your audience to participate in.

Finally, look into the various platforms available in your industry, and start posting! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest are all scorching sites right now, and every business should be easily accessible on at least two of those.

Connect - Investigate your target audience and encourage interaction

Don't ever forget who you're writing for! Social media is a great place to stimulate customer interaction and establish relationships with your audience, so catering to their interests and specific needs should be your top priority. Some of the worst mistakes you can make with social media marketing comes from a disconnect between the business and their ability to listen and provide what their audience is wanting.

Identify your audience, and research your competition to see how they get their followers and clients interested. Make a few posts that ask specific questions and pay attention to the feedback you receive. Asking your followers what they want is a great way to drum up interest and push those significant interactions into existence to get more exposure on your posts.

Content - Publishing quality content is key to a successful social media marketing account

Be aware of the content you're allowing to be associated with your brand. Everything you put on your social media accounts should be of high quality and relevant to your business. Different platforms will be more open to specific content types. Instagram is more visual-based, focusing strongly on the beautiful and fine finish, whereas Snapchat can offer a much more personal view.

Keep your posts short, concise, and error-free. Stay involved with the content creation and monitor how your audience reacts. If you’re a website owner, having these social media plugins can help, immensely.

Consistency - Stay on topic with current trends, keep up with interaction, and maintain a routine posting schedule

With so many businesses taking advantage of the easy social media marketing options, it’s essential you are aware of the best time to post on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In 2019, so many tools are accessible for businesses to use to track their exposure and schedule posts to release when activity is the highest on the platform.

Keeping your content modern and trendy can help you get valuable feedback and new interest from potential consumers! Try not to avoid messages, tags, complaints, or bullying on your posts. The market well receives an interactive company.

Grow - Push the boundaries and expand your strategy, create new goals

When you hit that first, long-awaited milestone - don’t stop! Keep progressing and brainstorming and building this marketing expansion and take it to the next level by opening more accounts or using new ways to connect with consumers.

Do not be afraid to try new things either. The market is continually changing, so you may strike gold because you were the first in your industry to introduce a new strategy to the scene. Play around with prizes, contests, giveaways, influencer support, and other popular tools to get the most of the platforms you've chosen.

Review - Don’t forget where you started!

As always, the key to a successful business is to be learning and improving continually. You never want to get too comfortable, so stay proactive in tracking your progress. Be aware of your exposure, your view count, and your revenue changes. Make it a habit of looking back very often, so you can identify mistakes and improve on your success!