The right social media strategy can help you increase traffic, gain brand awareness, generate leads, and increase conversions.

Social media isn’t just for teens anymore. It has become an indispensable tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and acquire more customers.

In today’s digital age, social media has become an essential tool for businesses to acquire and retain customers. With billions of active users on various social media platforms, businesses have the opportunity to reach a wide audience and engage with potential customers in a more personalized and targeted way.

Over the years, social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, have grown into engagement tools for businesses to connect with their target audience. With the introduction of even newer tools such as Threads by Instagram, there’s a wider playing ground for marketing. Furthermore, you have room to use videos on Reels, adverts, and short videos on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. What’s more? There are tools such as WhatsApp and WeChat.

Social media provides an excellent pool of consumers who are looking for products and services that you are offering. However, the bigger question is on to leverage social media to turn it into an effective marketing tool to capture customer attention and increase conversions.

Tweet, gram, post, and record your way into a bigger market share with effective marketing strategies. Dive in to learn more!

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing is a dynamic and ever-evolving strategy that allows businesses to promote their products or services through various social media platforms. It goes beyond just creating brand awareness; it focuses on building meaningful relationships with customers by delivering valuable content, engaging with them, and driving conversions.

Through social media marketing, businesses can reach a wider audience as these platforms have billions of active users. By leveraging the power of social media algorithms, businesses can target specific demographics and interests to ensure their message reaches the right people at the right time.

The best social media platforms for marketing and getting customers to vary depending on your business and target audience. However, some of the most popular and effective platforms include:

• Facebook: Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with over 2.9 billion active users. It’s a great platform for reaching a wide audience, and it offers a variety of features that can be used for marketing, such as targeted advertising, lead generation, and live video.

• Instagram: Instagram is a popular photo and video-sharing platform with over 1 billion active users. It’s a great platform for businesses that want to connect with visual learners, and it offers a variety of features that can be used for marketing, such as sponsored posts, Instagram Stories, and influencer marketing.

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional networking platform with over 830 million active users. It’s a great platform for businesses that want to connect with potential customers and business partners, and it offers a variety of features that can be used for marketing, such as lead generation, job postings, and group discussions.

• Twitter: Twitter is a microblogging platform with over 330 million active users. It’s a great platform for businesses that want to share news and updates, and it offers a variety of features that can be used for marketing, such as promoted tweets, hashtags, and live streaming.

• TikTok: TikTok is a short-form video-sharing platform with over 1 billion active users. It’s a great platform for businesses that want to connect with Gen Z and millennial audiences, and it offers a variety of features that can be used for marketing, such as challenges, duets, and brand takeovers.

• WhatApp: WhatsApp is an excellent messaging app with more than 2 billion active users globally. It can serve as a great tool for businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products or services.

Ways to use WhatsApp for marketing

• Create a WhatsApp Business account: A WhatsApp Business account gives you access to features that can help you connect with your customers, such as a business profile, catalog, and analytics.

• Send broadcast messages: Broadcast messages are a great way to send the same message to multiple contacts at once. You can use them to promote new products, announce sales, or share important information.

• Create group chats: Group chats can be a great way to connect with your customers and build relationships. You can use them to answer questions, provide support, or host live discussions.

• Use WhatsApp Business API: The WhatsApp Business API gives you even more control over your WhatsApp marketing campaigns. You can use it to send personalized messages, track customer engagement, and automate your marketing.

• Use relevant keywords: When you send broadcast messages, use relevant keywords so that your messages will be seen by the right people.

• Personalize your messages: When possible, personalize your messages to your customers. This will help you build relationships and increase engagement.

• Track your results: Use WhatsApp analytics to track your progress and see what’s working. This will help you optimize your marketing campaigns.

Key Ways to Use Social Media to Acquire More Customers

1. Understand Your Target Audience

Before diving into social media marketing, it’s crucial to understand your target audience. Conduct market research and create buyer personas to identify the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your potential customers. This information will guide your social media strategy and help you tailor your content to resonate with your target audience.

2. Choose the Right Social Media Platforms

Not all social media platforms are created equal, and different platforms attract different demographics. It’s important to choose the platforms that align with your target audience. For example, if your target audience is primarily professionals, LinkedIn may be the most effective platform to reach them. If you are targeting younger audiences, platforms like Instagram or TikTok may be more suitable.

3. Plan an effective social media posting schedule.

Although valuable content fuels consumer engagement, you won’t manage to pool potentials without a strategic social medial posting schedule that is tailored for each platform and audience. Learn from the statistics from Hubspot about social media engagement schedules for to try in 2023.

• Facebook: Weekdays between noon and 3 p.m, Wednesday between 5 p.m and 9 p.m, and 1 -4 p.m. on Sundays.
• Twitter: Weekends between noon and 5 p.m and on Tuesday evening between 5 – 6 p.m.
• Instagram: If you are targeting high volume, skip Friday to Sunday. You can try any time of the day except 3 – 4 p.m.
• Pinterest: Try mostly evening hours and predawn probably between 2 – 5 a.m. On Fridays, aim for 5 p.m and 8-11 p.m. on Saturdays.
• WhatsApp: Try any day during lunch hours, breaks, and evenings. At this time, there’s a large number of people who might be using the app.

Follow the research from Hubspot and analysis from other sites. However, don’t forget to also conduct your own research.

3. Create Engaging and Valuable Content and use Integrate Influencer Marketing

To attract and acquire customers through social media, you need to create content that is engaging, valuable, and relevant to your target audience. Share informative blog posts, captivating visuals, videos, and infographics that provide insights, solve problems, or entertain your audience. The key is to provide value and establish yourself as a trusted resource in your industry.

Influencer marketing has become a powerful strategy for customer acquisition on social media. Identify influencers in your industry who have a significant following and align with your brand values. Collaborate with them to promote your products or services to their audience through sponsored posts or partnerships. This can help you reach a wider audience and build trust with potential customers.

5. Run Targeted Ad Campaigns

Social media platforms offer robust advertising tools that allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. Leverage these tools to create targeted ad campaigns that reach your ideal customers. Craft compelling ad copy and creative visuals that grab attention and entice users to take action. Monitor the performance of your ads and make adjustments to optimize your campaigns for maximum customer acquisition.

6. Engage with Your Audience

Social media is all about engagement, so it’s important to actively engage with your audience. Respond to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Initiate conversations, ask questions, and encourage user-generated content. By engaging with your audience, you not only build relationships but also increase brand visibility and attract new customers through word-of-mouth marketing.

7. Offer Exclusive Promotions and Discounts

Social media platforms provide an excellent opportunity to offer exclusive promotions and discounts to your followers. Create unique discount codes or limited-time offers that are only available to your social media audience. This creates a sense of exclusivity and incentivizes potential customers to make a purchase. Additionally, encourage your followers to share these promotions with their friends and followers, further expanding your reach.

8. Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) can be a powerful tool for customer acquisition. Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products or services on social media using branded hashtags. Repost and share this UGC on your social media accounts to showcase social proof and build trust with potential customers. UGC helps create a sense of authenticity and encourages others to try your products or services.

9. Collaborate with Other Brands

Partnering with complementary brands can expand your reach and attract new customers. Identify brands that share a similar target audience but offer different products or services. Collaborate on joint campaigns, giveaways, or co-created content that benefits both brands. This cross-promotion can introduce your brand to new audiences and increase your customer acquisition efforts.

10. Monitor and Analyze Your Results

To measure the effectiveness of your social media customer acquisition efforts, it’s essential to monitor and analyze your results. Use social media analytics tools to track key metrics such as engagement, reach, click-through rates, and conversions. This data will provide valuable insights into what strategies are working and allow you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your social media marketing efforts.

Remember, social media is a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape, so it’s important to stay updated with the latest trends and adapt your strategies accordingly. With the right approach, social media can become a powerful tool in your customer acquisition arsenal.