Use these concepts of social media marketing to boost your online presence
What are the core concepts of social media marketing?
The core concepts of social media marketing are strategy, planning and publishing, engagement, analytics, and advertising.
- Strategy and planning set your goals and your posting schedule.
- Engagement and analytics grow your audience and show what works.
- Advertising extends your reach to new, targeted buyers.
Are you using social media enough for your business? With billions of people on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it is a simple way to reach and grow your audience. Once you learn the concepts of social media marketing, promoting your brand gets much easier.
Still, while social media marketing is now the norm, around 40% of small businesses do not use these platforms well. Yet an online presence matters for firms big and small, especially those chasing the global market.
Many outsourcing firms, like Wing Assistant, provide social media assistants. As a result, they help your brand connect with the online global community.
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing (SMM) is the practice of using social networking platforms to promote a business. In short, it means creating content for each platform, building communities, and keeping business profiles up to date.
Why social media marketing is important today
According to Backlinko, more than 5 billion people now use social media worldwide. On average, each user is active on about seven platforms.
Firms that still skip social media may miss out on growth. For most businesses, SMM is crucial because it helps them do the following.
- Grow their brand. With so many users worldwide, companies can make their brands known fast.
- Provide active customer service. Customers now want to reach brands on social media. So SMM lets firms talk with their audience in real time and build rapport.
- Build customer loyalty. The 2020 Sprout Social Index found that 89% of customers buy from brands they follow on social media. As a result, SMM makes loyalty easier to earn.
Most used social media platforms for marketing
Meta’s Facebook is still the top platform for digital marketing. For one, it has about 3 billion monthly active users (MAU). It also offers an easy interface for firms and creators building their brands. To pick the right mix, see this guide to digital marketing channels.
Besides Facebook, here are some of the most used platforms for marketing.
| Social media platform | Monthly active users (MAU) | Best for |
| YouTube | 2.5 billion | How-to videos, long-form content, entertainment |
| 2 billion | High-quality images and video content | |
| 2 billion | B2C communications, advertisements | |
| TikTok | 1.6 billion | Short-form videos, brand awareness |
| 1.3 billion | B2C communications, advertisements |
Core concepts of social media marketing
SMM is more than setting up an account and posting at random. To succeed, firms should get the most from their accounts. That way, they can find, attract, and keep customers for the long term.
Each platform has its own ways to reach an audience. For this reason, a plan that works on Facebook may not work on Instagram or LinkedIn. So firms should apply the following core concepts of social media marketing.
Strategy
SMM always starts with a strategy to reach and attract your audience. First, build a framework for your goals and the steps to hit them. A clear set of social media strategies keeps this focused.
Ideally, a good social media strategy should answer the five Ws.
Why set up a social media account?
This defines your purpose for the account. For example, Facebook pages help you sell, advertise, and connect with customers. Meanwhile, LinkedIn works better to network with other businesses.
Who is your target market or audience?
Next, define the buyer persona that fits your products. You should know enough about these buyers, from their interests to their demographics.
What type of content should you publish and share?
A strategy won’t work without clear content. You can mix themes and formats as long as they fit your brand and goals.
Your content should be strong enough to convince people to buy. For example, Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaign asks users to share photos taken on their iPhones.
Where will you share them?
It helps to match each platform to your brand. For instance, LinkedIn suits professional, business content. Instagram and Pinterest, meanwhile, lean on visuals and creative branding.
When will you share them?
Most pros weigh the best time of day to post. However, new brands should learn their audience’s habits first. After all, people scroll at different times.
Planning and publishing
Along with strategy, steady publishing matters a lot. As a result, more people get the chance to see your content.
At first, you can share blog posts, images, and videos. In time, though, you will need stronger plans to lift engagement.
A social media content plan helps you manage posts for each platform. So build it around your content and goals. Smart social media management hacks make this easier.
At the same time, find the best time to post based on the audience you target.
Engagement
Publishing is only half the battle. Firms should also engage and interact with their audience in many ways.
Besides comments and private messages, engagement shows up in these ways.
- Likes and comments
- Shares and reposts
- Branded hashtags
- Social mentions
- Click-throughs
Firms can lift engagement by creating the right content for their audience. Strong social media customer service also keeps people coming back.
Analytics
Like any business effort, SMM should be measured over time. So track your results on a regular basis. In practice, social media analytics show your performance, your wins, and what makes a campaign work.
Different tools for social media management include features that measure campaign performance.
Advertising
Most businesses on social media rely on organic traffic. However, those with extra budget often advertise for a wider reach.
Good ad results usually depend on the content you boost. As a result, advertising helps you reach a niche audience and win over people who do not yet follow your brand. Many brands also use influencer marketing to extend that reach.
Tips in applying the concepts of social media marketing
Building an online presence takes time and effort to pay off. Still, the concepts above can boost your network and bring in better customers. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Choose which social media to maximize
One common mistake is trying to be on every platform. More channels mean more work to keep each account active. In turn, this can hurt the quality of your content.
So focus on two or three platforms. First, check which accounts perform best, then build on those. As a result, you can post tailored, engaging content.
Some of the most recommended platforms are the “Big Four,” Facebook, X, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Create a variety of content for different platforms
Crossposting one piece of content everywhere is a big no, especially for brand accounts. Each platform serves a different purpose and audience.
So the same post across all platforms can lead to hit-and-miss results. Instead, create varied content for each one. Use the right metrics, like hashtags and click-throughs, to match each platform.
Boost the right post
You don’t have to boost every post for a campaign to work. Instead, pick the posts that fit each campaign and boost those. For example, Facebook boosting works better when you choose posts with these traits.
- Posts with existing engagement, such as likes, shares, or comments
- Posts with mentions from influencers or advocates
- Campaigns with a clear call to action (CTA)
Post regularly
Finally, you don’t want stale accounts that drag down your results. So keep posting on a regular basis across your platforms. This shows your audience that you are still active, so they don’t miss out.
At the same time, regular posting raises your chance of getting indexed by search engines.
Outsourcing social media marketing
Managing social media takes time, focus, and skill. So even if you start on your own, you will need an expert to keep it going.
Outsourcing is a smart way to improve your campaigns. For example, you can delegate to a social media assistant or a full team. In turn, you get more time to focus on growth.
Frequently asked questions about the concepts of social media marketing
What are the five core concepts of social media marketing?
The five core concepts are strategy, planning and publishing, engagement, analytics, and advertising. Together, they help you plan, post, grow, measure, and promote your content.
How many platforms should a small business use?
Most small firms do best with two or three platforms. First, check where your audience is active. Then focus your effort there so your content stays strong.
Is organic reach or paid advertising better for social media marketing?
Both have a role. Organic reach builds trust over time, while paid ads reach new, targeted buyers fast. In practice, a mix of the two works best.
How do you measure social media marketing success?
You measure it with clear metrics for each platform, such as likes, shares, click-throughs, and conversions. In short, these numbers show what works and what to change.
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