Reflecting on the Semester - Social Media Marketing

 

I have had my final Social Media Marketing class. I have presented my final project and have spent today studying for my final test. It’s hard to believe that my class is almost over. Looking back on the semester, I’ve learned a lot. I’m not sure what I expected to learn in this class, but what I did learn was so much better.

I want to share some of the biggest, most important things I learned while taking this class with you.

1.      Social media marketing is about marketing socially, not about marketing on social media. Social media provides you with a unique opportunity to connect with consumers and help them to develop a relationship with your company. Don’t squander the opportunity.

2.      Don’t let your accounts scream “ME ME ME!” No one wants to follow a brand that only talks about themselves. Retweet your followers. Follow other people. Respond to comments on Facebook. Encourage others to share content with you. Do whatever works best for your business, but most importantly be one of many contributors, not the only contributor.

3.      Know your audience. This may sound obvious, but it’s important to know who you’re talking to and how they use social media. Take some time to develop personas, figure out where your audience is, and determine how they use social media. If you’re targeting teenage boys, chances are you won’t find them on Pinterest.

4.      Have a strategy.  Just because your teenager is on Facebook all the time does not mean they know how to maximize it for your business. It’s easy to make big plans and dive into social media by creating lots of different accounts, but you have to have a strategy. Make a plan for connecting with your audience and for creating content. The more organized you are, the easier it will be for you to manage your social media efforts.

5.      Finally, never stop learning. Social media is constantly changing and evolving. Your social media marketing strategy needs to too.  Take the time to keep up with the social media changes and learn what’s new in social marketing. You don’t want to be left behind.

I hope that I’ve been able to share my new knowledge with you and that you have also learned something from this class. I plan to follow #5 and keep expanding my social marketing knowledge even though my class is finished. Who knows how social will change in the next few months?

Happy Marketing!