Social media has evolved so fast in the past years and has undeniably changed so much in the digital marketing industry. Now users don’t just rely on search engine results to access information online. Social networking sites such Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest now has credible search functions as well that many users prefer over traditional search engines. These three platforms – especially Instagram and Pinterest – are some of the fastest growing social networking sites, attracting more and more people to their user base every year. They are continuously improving features as well, particularly search functions, to allow users access to more on-platform content. Without a doubt, brands should take advantage of these evolving features to get more visibility for their content. As a business owner, you’re probably still wondering if it will be worth the time and effort to try, but here are some tips to give you a jumpstart.
Get Discovered
Having official social media profiles equates to an online storefront which tells consumers that your company is open for business. This is probably easier said than done, but the key is to have an active and relevant social media page or profile which users can easily search for and access when they need information and to use the proper tools to get discovered. This means using the right hashtags, captions, and labels for your content for optimized visibility.
Twitter and Instagram are both great in finding trending content through hashtags. Their geolocation features are also great for targeting customers, especially if you’re a local business. For more product-related brands, Pinterest’s platform is a must-use and can yield great results for your marketing. Its guided search helps users easily find content across the site, making it more like a visual search engine.
Get the Right Leads
Make use of hashtags, mentions, and search queries to get leads for your marketing and sales campaigns. These also provide very useful insights into what your target audience and influencers are talking about regarding you and your industry. Make a list of hashtags that are trending in your industry and regularly check these hashtags to see what your target audience is talking about and interested in. You can then tailor your promotions, sales and products to fit what is trending at the time. All three social networking sites have great search platforms which can help you get more from your social media account.
Get Involved in Real Time
This is most especially for Twitter and Instagram, wherein people can get real-time information about current events or news in a flash. Small business owners often make the mistake of not utilizing this enough with the notion that only the big names can yield results from these features. If you have a local event going on, come up with a trending hashtag to go with that and make sure your guests are given the opportunity and are encouraged to join, interact, share, and use that hashtag. It’s a win-win for both your brand and its users, allowing you to get discovered and grab the right leads.
Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram each have unique and incredible search engines built into their platforms. Make use of these platforms to find out what your audience is interested as well as see how well your brand is doing on specific search terms. There are many opportunities awaiting you to optimize your content and keywords to get your brand seen more.