Top 4 Social Media Marketing FAQs

Social media is becoming more and more of a legitimate marketing strategy in the business world. Rather than traditional media forms such as television and radio, modern businesses are now choosing to invest their campaigns and strategies into social media marketing. As the field grows in the business space, there are certainly more commonly asked questions that require answers.

In this blog, we’ll answer the most frequently asked questions regarding social media marketing so that you can gain a better understanding of the new and upcoming facet of business marketing.

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing involves the use of social media platforms to connect businesses and brands with their customers through a wide range of mediums such as images, texts and video clips. Through the communication channels afforded to businesses by social media, businesses can build their online presence and reach a wider range of target demographics (in comparison to traditional forms of media). 

How do you start social media marketing?

Although definitely an intricate and complex industry, it is relatively simple to start social media marketing. Social media marketing can be performed by both large businesses and individual personnel alike, and thus, you can practise social media marketing by building your own online brand. 

Individuals can start social media marketing by creating a social media account (usually for free) on whichever platform they prefer, and building an interactive business through it. By reading and understanding the analytics gathered by social media platforms, individuals can gauge the marketing effectiveness of their social media accounts, and develop further marketing campaigns based on their results.

What are the types of social media marketing?

There are different types of social media marketing, which depend on the type of medium used by businesses to interact with their target demographic. The most commonly applied types of social media marketing are:

• Image sharing – this is most commonly used on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterst, and involves brands sharing images related to their brand, products and/or services.
• Video sharing – this is used on platforms such as YouTube so that brands can create longer-form content for their target demographics to consume.
• Blogging – another form of social media marketing which prioritises the creation of longer form content for a business’ target audience consumption. Blogs give businesses the opportunity to sell their brand in words and interact more intimately with their demographics through language.

What skills are needed for social media marketing?

There are a variety of skills which may prove helpful in the space of social media marketing. Without these skills, individuals may struggle to find success in the competitive industry. The skills that are most needed for social media marketing are:

• Data analytics – the ability to read the data gathered by social media platforms on the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
• Research – Social media marketers need to research the needs and wants of their target demographic, as well as the trends in social media 
• Communication – not only do social media marketers need to interact with other users on social media platforms, they must also be able to work together with their business ‘ broader marketing team.

Want to learn more about social media marketing, and develop the skills necessary to succeed in the space? Be sure to check out Pacific Training Group’s educational courses on social media marketing!

Elle Lam

Elle is a Sydney-based writer passionate about all things in the business, marketing and technology industries.