If you’re wondering how to market yourself on social media, you aren’t alone. Job-seekers realize the importance of networking with contacts and future employers on LinkedIn. More entrepreneurs and businesses know that marketing on Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Periscope, and other social media sites are business-building tools.

Several years ago, some businesses didn’t realize that spending time on online on Facebook or Twitter could improve customer relations. A small amount of people linked a Facebook page with business potential. Today, Hubspot’s “State of Inbound Marketing” report says that more than three-fourths of business-to-consumer (B2C) companies and almost half of business-to-business (B2B) firms find clients and customers on Facebook. It’s essential to know how to market yourself on social media now. Let’s discuss eight ways to increase your engagement on social media. This isn’t a course you’ll want to miss!

How to Market Yourself on Social Media Using Video

filming with a smartphone

We’re all connected through social media. If tweeting doesn’t come naturally, there are other courses you can take. The internet is prime real estate. Here’s how to market yourself on social media using video, taking the following 10 steps to connect:

1. Make a video

Use the digital world, a video app on a smartphone to video yourself. Discuss challenges in your industry or pitch your product. It’s simple. Simply hit the record button and start talking about your business, competitive markets, the economic environment, or what differentiates you from others. That’s it, the benefits of video marketing are endless. Your video is the beginning of your social media marketing program. This is a great way to market a proposal for your company or ensure that training is uniform for your industry.

2. Upload the video to social networks

Don’t link the video, upload from one social network site to another, this won’t be effective to getting the job done. Upload the video to each channel to get maximum love there. Social media sites and search engines love native content. Take a sample– A 15- second clip of the video and post it on Instagram. Keep in mind, the video doesn’t have to have a twenty minute description with a pdf file attached to be effective!

3. Turn the video into a blog post

If you wrote a script before making the video, give readers the option to consume written content (This is great for those that aren’t native to your homeland–For example, if you’re from Melbourne, Australia, you may have trouble understanding someone from Mumbai, India). Keep a template to use to make it easier if your not a writer or outsource your content, these strategies and tips may put you at the top of your game. Statistics say, if you use a template, not only will you save time, but you’ll save money too. Let’s face it… Time is money.

Just consider pricing for outsourcing content.  If you didn’t prepare a script beforehand, make a transcript of the video now; This will make it easier for writing articles. Alternatively, ask a transcriptionist service to make a transcript to post now. Taking this step panders to search engines, social sharing, and social networks. Remember that not every user can watch your video. Those in London or the UK may not be able to see what those in NYC can see. Research which method of posting is better for marketers.

4. Read your script to turn it into an audible podcast

Many people follow audio podcasts today. Consequently, upload the audio podcast to SoundCloud or iTunes. If you were concerned that you’d never get the hang of social media, realize you’re a vlogger, blogger, and podcaster, these are great examples of being an exemplary marketer. You know how to market yourself on social media. There isn’t much of a definition or certification to look for. But to some degree, you can make a difference just by learning how to become a social media marketer.

5. Email your video to an email list to increase engagement with this audience

Use a free service like MailChimp.com if you don’t have a subscription email client. MailChimp is a great agency and if it is in your salary to do so, this is also a great manager and tool for mass send-outs. Email marketing is a great example on how to gain and hold relationships with not only websites, but the people as well. Email has it’s advantages and disadvantages just like any form of marketing. The pros? You’ve got a dialogue going and it’s visual (You can send images and ppt or powerpoint slides through to share with clients). The cons? It may not be as personal and depending on how things are written, they may be interpreted in a different way.

6. Drill into your video to identify relevant bits and pieces for social media

In other words, use this step to take one video asset and turn it into many social media messages and posts. Alternatively, use the messages to update social media. Even if your video is relatively short, you’ll probably have 10 or 12 Twitter messages to share. Show others how to market yourself on social media.You’ll have followers from Los Angeles to Londons, Toronto to Singapore, and Denver to Chicago. You don’t have to have a certificate saying that you know what needs to be shared and what doesn’t.

7. Test the video on Periscope

Unlike other video sharing sites, Periscope users provide feedback to others in real-time. You’ll quickly learn what’s working (or what’s not) without a large marketing budget. Knowing how to market yourself on social media always involves offering relevant content. Periscope feedback is the unvarnished truth. Making a first Periscope video can seem a bit daunting, but you’ll leave with new ideas. Trying new things are super important and the reason why many jobs or companies grow. Periscope is vastly different. I mean you wouldn’t interview at restaurants if you resume is mailing in a medical practices or digital marketing specialist. This does not mean that you can’t try new things, right?

8. Focus your social media strategy on channels giving you the best results

Facebook might work better than Instagram, or vice versa. Only you can gage the effectiveness of each packages and what they have to offer. Try new video formats, such as animated videos, to determine your customer’s preferences. Whatever works for you, put that on the books. Either of these platforms have great trends between the two of them that will not only help you with your agencies, but also make a great impact. Just remember, what you market on Facebook may not be able to bee seen the same in places like Nigeria to Boston, San Diego to New York.

There’s no denying the power of social media marketing. You now know that social media isn’t too hard, expensive, or time-consuming to use. If you don’t have a social media budget, that’s okay. Just make sure you know the ins and the outs of what it takes to market on social media. One of these days you’ll be the experts that everyone comes to for questions.

Who Should Use Social Media Marketing?

Nonprofits are great, churches, authors, or any organizations that needs quick, fast, easy, and marketing to show off big brands, close contracts, and . Often times with social media marketing, you’ll find that it’s quick and easy, but also fairly priced. Realtors may even benefit from displaying their housing market online for buyers to view.

Those that should stay away from utilizing social media marketing? Doctors, dentists, lawyers, chiropractors, or any one with responsibilities to healthcare should stay away from advertising their information on social, as healthcare is fairly private.

Other Methods of Marketing Yourself on Social Media

notebook with doodles on it

If in doubt, keep the outline simple. The news doesn’t need to be off the wall.  You don’t need to post your videos and content of every social media network. Sometimes, it’s actually better not to. You’ll need to manage multiple accounts and, if you don’t have sufficient resources, you won’t build a brand name or presence on any site. You can’t just be a consultant and hope for the best to form a relationship. Besides, there are other ways to market yourself on social media:

1. Select several sites where you believe you’ll get the largest return

If you’re in doubt about which social sites to choose, learn where your current and prospective customers spend time or study the social platform’s demographic data. Your goal is to build the brand on two or three sites to attract new followers faster. It’s ok to ask questions to know how to use social media effectively. Ask an expert or someone that you trust.

2. Plan your social media schedule

You don’t need to commit hours each day but, if you’re organized, you do need a few hours a week to post videos, splice audios, or post content. Book social media time on the calendar to keep fresh content available. this will save you time and money, so you hit two birds with one stone in creating a financial plan. You can even save it on your computer to download for later and use as an affordable and strategic templates.

3. Work smarter

Once your social media strategy kicks in, use a social media management or monitoring platform to update from a central dashboard. These tools can give you more time to create content and less time posting it. This is a great and effective way to get your branding out.

4. Engage your customers

Social media engagement is all about encouraging more people to discuss your idea or business on social sites. Monitoring your brand mentions is part of positively using social media results. The internet is great because you can reach anywhere from Dubai to Seattle or as near as Baltimore to Washington.

5. Address disgruntled customers

You probably won’t know when people are talking about you all the time. However, if you pay attention, you’ll find lots of opportunities to connect with new and prospective customers and clients. Additionally, you can defuse customer complaints as they appear. If you’re in business, plan to address disgruntled customers on social media. Don’t let these situations go, because they will affects your role in social media.

6. Choose your software

Social media monitoring tools track mentions of your personal or business, Twitter handle, and brand name, plus any keywords relating to your business and industry. These tools can alert you of problems and are great for most startups. A lot of the time, the latest technology comes with a cost, but it is wildly successful.

Final Thoughts

Now you have the basics of building a social media presence. Take your campaign a day at a time. Few social media campaigns are an instant success. Some may come with a price. Some businesses use social site advertising to attract attention to the products and services, but it’s not necessary at the start.

Make sure that you don’t forget about your blogs too. You don’t want to totally forget about your blogs and lose all SEO or lose site of what your KPIs are. Social media marketing can be for beginners at entry level or for marketing professionals, there are no objectives.

All in all, designing and implementing a social media strategy is worth it. You’ll build stronger relationships with current audiences and develop new customers or clients if these are your goals.

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