In today’s digital world, fliers and brochures no longer attract customers. Now, having an online presence is essential in generating sales and running a successful small business.
According to DataReportal, there are around 6.8 million internet users in Jordan as of January 2021, and 6.3 million of them use one or more social media platform. Over 61.5 percent of the population are online, and that is where you should be too.
Where to promote
Fadi Hamad, a digital marketer, spoke to Jordan News about choosing the right platform to promote your business on.
“It depends on the market you are targeting. For example, if you are targeting Gulf countries, you need to make sure you are active on both Twitter and Snapchat. But if you are targeting Jordan, Palestine, or Egypt, most users are on Facebook and Instagram. So the first step is for you to check and test the behavior of your targeted market,” Hamad said.
As reported by StatCounter, the Jordanian market’s most used social media platform is Facebook, with 85 percent of internet users registered. This is followed by Twitter with 2.1 percent, then YouTube with little over 2 percent, and only 1.7 percent use Instagram.
“This doesn’t mean you should be on one of the platforms and not the others,” Hamad advised. “It means you should increase your promotions on the most used platform.”
When to promote
An important tool available on all social media platforms is the analytics, or insights, feature. Deema Eid, a social media specialist, talked to Jordan News about maximizing the impact of a post.
“From the gender of your target audience to the time they are most active, you can find all this data on the analytics or insights of any business page,” Eid explained.
She also highlighted the importance of creating a business account to represent your brand instead of a private or personal account.
Who to promote toDo you really need to know the gender of your target audience? It is actually a principle factor to consider, according to Eid, as you are always addressing your target audience in your posts. If you have a maternity related brand, for example, mostly mothers will take interest in your product. Alternatively, if you promote trips, you should address people who usually go on vacations, like honeymooners. Career coaches who help with building resumes, on the other hand, target mostly college graduates or undergraduates from the ages of 20 to 25.
Therefore, it is essential to identify your target audience by age, gender, location, and interests.
What to promote
Eid pointed out a common mistake that most businesses make: “Constantly promoting the brand in every posts.”
“It’s important for the content on your page to be related to your brand and the work you do, but you don’t want to make the customers feel they are being sold something,” Eid advised. “Always remember people go on the internet to have fun.”
Here are five factors to keep in mind when creating content:
Have variation in your content. Post engaging content on weekends, informative content on weekdays, and give advice or tips in between.
Do not stick to only posting images or videos. Instead, every week, try to have at least one video, two to three photos, and a GIF or a poll post.
Challenge your audience with quizzes or competitions related to your brand.
Create giveaways; people love gifts and promotions. These posts will encourage users to interact with your brand.
Show your products as they are. It is important for your audience to know the exact shape and size of the product you sell. Never use stock images or pictures from the internet. Have a photoshoot for your brand and use original images for your social media posts
How to promoteEid pointed out that a lot of business owners wonder paying for ads is the only way their brand can be seen.
“Sure, using paid ads is definitely the fastest way to reach your goal, but it is not the only way to do so. Using engaging content and constantly posting can also get you actual sales. When people love your brand, they will search for it even if it didn’t show on their feed page,” according to Eid.
Businesses are also concerned with hiring a professional to run their social media pages. Eid says it is “easier to hire the professional to do the work”, however, businesses with smaller budgets can do it themselves since “any problem or question you have, you can find the answer for it online.”
“You can also use the free designing websites and free marketing tools to help you manage your accounts,” she said.
Remember that no one knows your brand better than you do. Whether you hire someone or manage your own social media page, always make sure you understand your audience and their needs.