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Businesses that utilize social media are nothing new. It’s estimated that 97% of Fortune 500 companies rely on it, but it’s just as effective for small businesses across the country. 

While your business might already be using social media, the important thing is to make sure you’re using it to its full potential. While various platforms can be great resources for sharing information and engaging people, you’ll experience even better success when you use social media to specifically reach your target audience. 

Whether you want to boost brand visibility, increase communication, or grow your audience, honing in on the users and consumers who are likely to be most interested in your brand is crucial. So, how do you go about doing that? How can you rethink your social media strategy to better reach your target audience and create content for them?  

How to Identify Your Audience

The first step in reaching your target audience is to know who they are. Thankfully, technology has made it easier than ever to zoom in on those who are most likely to take an avid interest in your social media efforts, as well as your brand. 

One of the best ways to identify your audience is through data analytics. It’s a great way to collect information, process it, and build a strategy from what you’ve learned. You can also use data that includes current market trends, and what your competitors are experiencing. The more information you can collect, the easier it will be to narrow down the people who should be most interested in your brand. 

Why is it so important? 

For starters, reaching your target audience can save you money. About $37 billion is wasted every year from companies creating ads that fail to engage their target audiences. When you know who to connect with, you’ll use your marketing budget more effectively, and you’re likely to experience a better ROI. 

The analytics provided by social media platforms like Facebook may not be as detailed as the ones you’ll get from search engines or your website. But, they will give you a good look at who is checking out your social media, and how you can capitalize on that.  

Communicate and Connect

Once you’ve developed a better understanding of your target audience, it’s time to reach them. Social media is a great resource for making your business seem more “human’. Because the average consumer is inundated with thousands of advertisements each day, they are more likely to trust a business that can connect with them, rather than simply throwing ads at them. 

Social media provides a great platform for that. 

First, decide which platforms are most important for your business. Some make sense more than others, depending on your industry. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are typically great places to start. Since Facebook is the largest social networking platform, let’s cover a few tips you can use to better connect with your target audience: 

1. Post engaging content.
2. Answer questions from your business page.
3. Continuously analyze competitor Facebook accounts.
4. Offer exclusive deals.
5. Advertise on Facebook.

Making your platforms as personal as possible while still maintaining professionalism is the “sweet spot” for most businesses. The more you’re able to do that, the more shareable your content will be. Every marketer knows that word-of-mouth advertising is worth its weight in gold. Creating content that people will want to share with their own friends and followers can help to grow your target audience quickly. 

Creating the Right Content

If you want your audience to be engaged and to share your brand with others, publishing the right content is key. Consider adding things like video marketing to your strategy. It’s estimated that by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of consumer Internet traffic. 

Videos are great for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok. They can give your audience a peek behind the curtain of your brand, and make them feel more comfortable. 

While you can go the simple route and record/post videos from your smartphone, it’s worth it to dedicate yourself to a professional approach. Invest in the right tools if you’re going to engage in video marketing content, especially on platforms like Instagram. Some gear you should consider using includes:

• A camera specifically dedicated to your video marketing efforts
• The right editing software
• A telepod
• Studio lights
• A drone

If you’re not comfortable shooting video or even being in front of the camera, consider working with an influencer.  Social media influencers have become hugely popular in recent years, especially on Instagram. By finding and working with an influencer that makes sense for your brand, they’ll be the one putting in the video legwork, and they can help to grow your audience quickly with their own fanbases. 

The bottom line? Social media is one of the best ways to learn more about your target audience and reach them with humanistic qualities. If you’re not capitalizing on your current platforms,  it’s time to make them a bigger priority within your marketing strategy.