Nowadays, there are countless ways to spread the word about your product or service without spending a lot of money. Social media marketing and content marketing are two low-cost and highly effective strategies that can increase a business’s reach considerably. Today, we’ll have a closer look at what they are and how you can use them to grow your audience.
What Is the Difference Between Social Media Marketing and Content Marketing?
Many find it confusing when the social media marketing vs content marketing question is posed because the terms “digital marketing” and “social media marketing” are frequently used interchangeably. Some people who use simply social media may even think they are doing digital marketing. So what is the difference between social media marketing and digital marketing? The quick answer is that SEO, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, and other types of marketing fall under the banner of digital marketing. One of the various platforms that make up a digital marketing campaign is social media.
Social media marketing and content-based marketing are similar strategies, and they are sometimes overlapping. However, their goals are different. When you advertise your product on a social media platform like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, you are hoping that potential customers will engage with your content by liking, sharing, and commenting on it.
In contrast, when you use content-based marketing, the process is less interactive, and your main goal is to educate your customers. Once they have learned something from your blog, social media channel, or website, they will be more likely to buy from you because they will perceive you as an expert in your field. What’s more, they will see your brand in a positive light because you have helped them to understand something that’s important to them.
Social Media Marketing
Virtually every company has to include social media in their marketing strategy. If your brand can’t be found on popular social media channels, you are lowering the chance of being seen by potential leads, and you’re reducing the contact you have with your existing customers. Aside from attracting new people to your business, content marketing in social media can help you stay in touch with everyone who is already interested in your business.
You can use platforms like Twitter and Instagram to post updates about your company, interesting facts about your industry, and special offers for loyal and new customers. By being present and posting on a regular basis, you can keep your brand visible and relevant. This increases your reputation in the community and encourages your customers to check out your content on a regular basis.
Content-Based Marketing
While the aim of social media marketing is to get people to interact with you, a content-based strategy focuses on providing customers with something valuable, such as an explanation of an important concept or a useful how-to video. Some of the most common content-based marketing strategies are starting a blog, starting a Youtube channel, or writing a free ebook people can access when they sign up to your company’s newsletter.
Studies have shown that high-quality content is a great way of increasing trust and getting people to stay on your website or social media channel for longer. It is estimated that businesses with a good content strategy benefit from around 67% more traffic to their website than those that don’t offer relevant, interesting insights into their industry.
Which Type of Marketing Is Right for Me?
If you’re running a small to medium-sized company and you’re not yet implementing these two marketing strategies on a regular basis, you might wonder which one will bring you the greatest return on your investment. As mentioned, almost every firm should have at least one well-organized social media channel, which they update on a regular basis.
Similarly, virtually every company can benefit from running a blog or vlog, which positions them as an expert resource and allows them to attract more people to their website. Although both strategies can be extremely effective on their own, many businesses combine them for even better results. They create great content for their website or channel, then use social media to market it to leads and customers.
Combining Content and Social Media Marketing
The great thing about content marketing on social media is that many of the platforms are free to use, so you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on advertising. When you first start out, your focus should be on creating amazing content that is targeted at your ideal customer. For example, if you run a cosmetic studio, you can explain each treatment in detail, so customers can decide which one might be right for them before they even get in touch with you.
Once you have some posts or videos that will be helpful for your leads, you can start to market them on social media. High-quality content is one of the best things to share across your platforms because it inspires people to learn from you and share your posts with others who might also find them useful. In this way, the combination of content and social media marketing can be a powerful, low-cost way of getting your business noticed.
How to Get Started
To start an effective digital marketing campaign, you will have to first select the social media channels work best for you, decide what kind of content you want to offer, and set up an informative website that allows customers to purchase from you. If you’re not a marketing expert, this can sound extremely challenging. In many cases, the best way to go is to get external help.
Countless businesses struggle with online marketing, and they are losing out on thousands of dollars every month because they are not living up to their potential. To optimize your strategy, you should hire experts who can help you establish your brand and find reliable, long-term customers. A great agency will help you at every step of the way, so you can focus on what you do well: running your company and serving your customers.
Create Content Regularly
A content and social media marketing strategy is a long-term endeavor. At first, you might only get a few new customers, but if you create content on a regular basis and post on social media every day, you will slowly grow your reach. However, you must remember to post new content frequently, since this encourages your followers to check back with you and keeps your brand fresh in people’s minds.
Social media marketing and content marketing are two complementary strategies that aim to engage and inform potential customers. When used together, they can significantly increase a business’s customer base. Get in touch with us at Anthem Software and ask for a virtual tour. We will be happy to show you how we can help your company grow.
