With Facebook hitting over 2 billion monthly users last month, it’s nearly impossible to argue against the importance of social media marketing for businesses; however, many business owners are still searching for the most effective way to reach their potential customers across the various social platforms. The two biggest questions are, “What should we be talking about?” and “How should we be talking about it?”. Every business has its own unique products or services to sell and target audience to reach, but there are some proven strategies to accomplish these goals with social media. Two of the most important things to remember are:

The 80/20 Rule

Think of this as your Universal Law, or overall social media strategy. The rule is simple: only 20% of your content should be directly promoting your brand, while the much larger 80% should be devoted to content and conversations that your target audience truly finds interesting and would be engaged in on their own. You do not want to risk annoying your audience by being pushy with your online sales pitch. They will simply unfollow you. Use social media to build relationships and connect with your audience, so that they will think of you first when they are ready to shop for a product or service you offer. Once you have embraced the 80/20 rule as your content strategy, you can focus on HOW to convey your promotional and non-promotional posts.

Tell Stories

The age of ads and intrusive marketing has passed, and the ongoing rise of social media will only make them more obsolete. This is supported by recent findings from the Nielsen Study, which showed that consumers are looking for a more personal connection and trust in traditional marketing platforms is dramatically decreasing. People are more connected than ever. Word of mouth advertising is now found in the form of online reviews, many of which are on social media platforms.

Blue Apron does a fantastic job of storytelling and connecting with customers who share their passion for organic farming and home-cooked meals with high-quality ingredients, even with their promotional ads.

Adopting the story-telling approach to social media marketing also allows companies to easily syndicate content, maximizing ROI and efficiency. Another key benefit to consider is that stories are shareable! This is hugely important for any social media marketers to remember. Your followers are an extension of your marketing team. When they share your posts, they do your job for you! Tell a good story and let them share it with their friends, extending your reach beyond your own following.