In Kenya and in Nairobi, to be specific, social media marketing is slowly but steadily becoming an aspect of doing business that cannot be ignored. The usage rates of Facebook and Twitter are now (in 2021) more widespread than in yesteryear(s).

Despite the sweeping economic challenges thrown at you by the COVID-19 pandemic, every smart Kenyan entrepreneur will remain bullish on the benefits they are bound to reap from strategic well-thought-out socials.

Nairobi residents and business people living in other parts of Kenya are trying hard, every passing day, to make a visible impact on their business returns through social media campaigns. Some efforts are commendable. Many others are not good enough.

What does it take to transform your business through social media?

In this article, we look at a few proven tips that will take your cause to another level in 2021:

1. Take time to create/curate quality content

Business is about numbers. You will be able to reach a bigger chunk of your target audience if your content is ever exciting and fresh.

You must be both creative and analytical in your approach to content creation.

It does not harm to try and find out what your competitors are up to. You don’t have to copy-paste what they are doing. Draw lessons from their methods and let them inspire your creative ideas. For instance, you could find out how they use hashtags to expand their reach.

 

How do I do this? You may ask. Well, there are many tools you could utilize to analyze your competition. If you are not confident, consider hiring the hands of an industry expert.

Content comes in many forms. As a rule of thumb, vary your content types by switching between plain text, photos, short videos, memes, and occasional live videos.

You may not be a lover of Stories like me. But stories are good for business. Most Kenyans love Facebook stories. It allows you to take people through your brand values and personality without the risk of leaving their pages. It is also a way to get close and personal with your followers.

Lastly, remember brand consistency. Let people know that you stand for something. Avoid the ‘anything goes’ mentality. Use your brand assets effectively by sticking to a single theme in your colors, voice, and style. Why is this important? It will build your audience’s trust in your brand.

2. Outline clear sensible goals for your social presence

Get on social media with defined goals. It’s cool to be on social media, yes. But that’s not the only reason to be on Facebook or Twitter. Define what you want to achieve with your brand’s presence online.

If you want to generate leads and eventual sales, great! Take time to know what goes on in your industry. The keywords, the hashtags, and what users are saying about your kind of product. You could also run promotions or inform your clients about new and exciting offers.

Most certainly, you want to be known – to get your name on the map. This is the time to talk about your brand and the value it’s adding. Make your messages clear, authentic, and engaging. As we had said earlier, stick to a theme and run with it over a specified time. You stand a good chance of making accurate evaluations of your social media marketing strategy.

There is this thing that we call UGC (user-generated content). It simply means working with your followers to promote your brand and engage them on a personal level. It could be as simple as asking your followers to share your content or tag their friends on promotions you are currently running. UGC is about making your customers and followers your advocates and campaigners.

Your website might not generate much revenue without traffic. Exploit the avenues of boosting your posts and social ads to raise your chances of getting URL clicks to your site. Social media is a great tool when it comes to drawing people to your website. These people are very likely to make purchases that bolster your ROI.

3. Do your DD (due diligence)

Assumptions are potential pitfalls for a business that is looking for exponential growth and stability. Do not assume that you already know. Do some small survey. Stats on your target market are readily available if you care to find them.

Demographics are here to help businesses make informed decisions on how to market to and engage people of varying age brackets and gender. It is important to note that every social network has its category of users.

Facebook is a network for everyone while Twitter and LinkedIn are mostly frequented by well-educated and highly-informed groups. Pinterest is known to be a favorite of women while Instagram is a darling for millennials and generation Z.

Get your facts right and engage your customers on the right channels. Do not be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Identify your most favorable social platforms and work towards maximizing their provisions.

4. What are your Key Performance Indicators?

Numbers don’t lie, so they say. As you endeavor to engage your social media audience, it will be of little benefit if you cannot accurately measure the results of your work.

There are specific metrics that shed light on the impact of your socials. Let’s look at some of these metrics:

• Clicks – how many times has your post been clicked on? If the numbers are high, you are most likely doing a good job in attracting the interest of your audience.
• Hashtags – what hashtags were most used in your social campaigns? The hashtags closest to your brand personality should be noted, modified, and reused if need be.
• Reach – it is the total number of social media users that saw your post on their news feeds. The higher this number, the further your reach.
• Number of Likes – Ads will most definitely attract more likes than organic content. What works best for you depends on your priorities and the amount of time and funds you are willing to spare for social media marketing.
• Opinion – what does your audience think about your brand? Is your content compelling enough? Do they find your sense of humor impressive and worth their time? Are you addressing some of their most pressing needs? Reactions to your posts will project your audience’s perception of your content.
• Follower engagement – this is the total of interactions per reach. Interacting with your customers and prospects is not a task – it’s an opportunity to sell your brand and expand your reach.

5. Optimize your timing

The obvious question to ask at this point is: What is the most opportune time to post on social networks? There isn’t a standard answer to this question.

The best time is highly dependent on the availability of your team and the magnitude of resources you can deploy to engage your clients at their preferred times. Customers are autonomous when it comes to timing, and you cannot compel them to keep up with your schedule.

You can only work with your most appropriate time, depending on the lifestyles of your followers and your researched appropriate days and times. For example, the best times to post are in the evenings when most people are off work. At this time your team members may not be available to engage your customers.

Weigh your options and strive to create a balance between post-scheduling and follower engagement.

Are you in need of further guidance?

Of course, there is more to add, but the strategies outlined above should start you off on the right path to social media marketing success.

For further insights and more resources on how to make your socials work for you, please talk to our social team. We are here to help you succeed in getting value for your brand.