Social media marketing is a must for every small to medium-sized business. It's a simple and cost-effective way to connect with your target audience, build brand awareness, and improve your sales over time. Many businesses know that they should be using social media to market their company, but many don't have the knowledge, or more often than not, the time, to run campaigns consistently and effectively. This is where social media management companies come into the picture. In this blog, we'll discuss why social media marketing is necessary for growing your business and how social media marketing companies can help you achieve your marketing goals. Lastly, we'll go over some top tips designed to help you sift through the hundreds of social media management companies out there and pick one that is the right fit for your company. 

The need for social media marketing

Social media marketing is the process of posting content on social media platforms to promote your business, products, and services. There are over 25 million social media users in Canada and 94% of online adults possess an account on at least one social platform. It's therefore essential to understand which platforms your target audience is using, so you can maximize your marketing efforts accordingly. Social media marketing allows you to be proactive; instead of waiting for potential customers to find your business, you can seek them out and direct information to them on relevant social media platforms. Some business owners may think that social media marketing is only beneficial for marketing their products and services to a young clientele. While this may be true on some platforms such as TikTok, other platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn are popular with people of all age groups. In fact, the third most popular age group using Facebook are adults between 45-54, ahead of those aged between 18-24.

Connecting with your customers and prospective customers

By posting content regularly on appropriate social media platforms, you'll be building rapport with your potential customers. Time and time again it has been shown that people are more likely to purchase from companies that they know and trust. Therefore, taking advantage of any and every opportunity where clients can get to know you better is paramount to your marketing strategy. Posting content is an opportunity to connect and engage with your target audience and let them learn about a side of your company that they didn't know before. Not only will they learn about what products or services you have to offer, but they can also connect with you on a deeper level by learning about your company's interests, goals, personality, team members, and so much more. 

One of the biggest benefits of social media marketing is its excellent return on investment. Well-crafted social media posts will grasp a user's attention and increase the chances of them performing an action. Some users will engage with a post by liking it, leaving a comment, or visiting a webpage you included in the post – driving traffic back to your website. Others will share the post or tag their friends which only increases the post's reach and ability to seek out and connect with an even bigger audience. Finally, some users will be compelled to contact you for more information or directly make a purchase. The benefits are enormous and the costs are low compared with some other forms of digital marketing. When spending budgets are limited, it's important to invest in marketing strategies that will stretch your dollar as far as possible and bring you back the greatest return. It's no wonder that 97% of marketers incorporate social media in their strategy to reach and connect with their target audience. 

The usefulness of social media management companies 

For many small to medium-sized businesses, time is an illusion they can never possess. Many of them want to set up their social media accounts and post content regularly, but between running their business and trying to squeeze in an ounce of personal time, social media marketing often falls between the cracks. While few small businesses are running their own social campaigns, many have enlisted the help of a digital marketing specialist to get things up and running for them and often continue running things indefinitely. Social media management companies usually offer the following in their packages:

• Account set-up

• Account optimization

• Copy creation 

• Custom images

• Regular posting to multiple accounts 

• Account monitoring and responding to questions/comments

• Analytic reports 

Tips for selecting the best social media marketing company

1. Find a company that can meet your needs

An excellent company offering social media marketing services will be able to identify your businesses' target market and set up your company on the platforms that your potential customers are using. It doesn't help you if you have an account on TikTok and your business is selling dentures. It's up to your specialist to navigate the many social platforms and decide on the ones that are most suited for your business. 

2. Upfront pricing

It's always important to understand the costs involved when working with a social media marketing company. Firstly, are you able to have a consultation with each company you're considering at no charge to you? This is essential because you shouldn't have to pay anything when inquiring about services and trying to determine if a company is going to be the partner you're looking for. Secondly, are you provided with a quote breaking down exactly what you'll be spending each month, or each hour, for a company's services? If you receive a quote with “from x dollars and up”, be skeptical. A trustworthy, reliable company will be able to give you exact figures on what it will cost for their different packages. 

3. Quality and quantity of service

When sifting through the pile of social media management companies, quality of service is a consideration you won't want to overlook. Be sure you understand what each company is providing, and see how that compares to another company's offerings. In particular, pay attention to what you'll be paying for. You want to ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck. For example, if company A is offering to post once a week on one platform while company B is offering to post three times a week on two different platforms – all for the same price, it's important to recognize that company B is providing a better value for the price. Now with that said, just because one company is offering more, it doesn't mean it is necessarily better. You'll want to investigate further: have a conversation to find out more information about how the pricing works and what else is included. Some companies may force you to sign up for their services for a period of 6-months or a year, leaving you stuck if it turns out you're unhappy with the service or results they are providing. Others may not offer collaboration or strategy meetings with you, meaning all the creative control is in their hands, and none of it rests in yours. This may seem great if you're just starting out and have no idea what you're looking for, but being shut out on the creative can backfire if you have ideas and suggestions you'd like to contribute. Or, if you just simply don't like the tone, voice, or personality they are portraying for your business. 

4. Experience running campaigns and growing accounts 

It's one thing to offer a great service for a great price, but it's important to note that experience goes a long way when it comes to social media campaigns. Most people can run a campaign, but whether or not they can run it successfully is a different thing. You'll want to make sure you discuss your goals with the specialists you're considering and see who has experience helping companies achieve those goals. A company with a proven track record is always more valuable than one that can't offer up results they've achieved in the past. 

5. Knowledge of SEO

Knowledge of SEO is not only required to drive traffic to your site, it's also necessary to incorporate in your social media strategy. Simple aspects of social media posts such as the copy, images, and captions must be carefully selected to be optimized for Google. Essentially, every social media platform must be properly optimized to ensure Google can find your platforms. If Google can't find you, neither can your visitors. In addition, the information found on each account must be consistent – your contact information, branding, and images need to align on all digital mediums. If you’re new to SEO, our SEO 101 guide can help you get your footing.

Conclusion 

If like many business owners, you don't have the time to personally market your business on social media, investing in a social media marketing company's services is your solution to staying current and connected in a competitive online market. Social media marketing has the benefit of improving brand awareness, authority, loyalty, and customer satisfaction. The more you interact with your audience, the higher your chances are of converting those individuals into paying customers. 

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