You’re trying to improve your skills in social media marketing. How can you get started?

To enhance your social media marketing skills, start by exploring online courses on platforms like LinkedIn Learning or Udemy. Follow industry influencers on platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated on trends. Actively engage in online communities, and practice by managing a personal or small business account. Experiment with different content types and analyze performance using analytics tools provided by platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Continuous learning, hands-on experience, and staying informed will help you excel in social media marketing.

Take online courses or certifications from platforms . Follow industry blogs, podcasts, and thought leaders for insights and trends. Join relevant LinkedIn groups or Twitter chats for networking and learning. Experiment with different social media platforms to understand their nuances. Analyze successful campaigns and strategies . Practice creating and optimizing social media content for engagement and reach. Attend workshops, webinars, or conferences focused on social media marketing. Seek mentorship or guidance from experienced professionals in the field. Stay updated with the latest tools, algorithms, and best practices in social media marketing. Continuously evaluate and iterate on strategies based on data insights and feedback.

To begin enhancing your social media marketing skills, setting clear and achievable goals is essential. Start by defining what you aim to accomplish through social media, whether it's increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or boosting engagement. Next, establish specific, measurable objectives that align with these broader goals, such as reaching a certain number of followers, generating a set amount of leads, or improving post engagement rates. Additionally, consider your target audience and which platforms they frequent most to tailor your strategies effectively. Regularly assess and adjust your goals as you progress, ensuring they remain relevant and contribute to your overall marketing objectives.

Knowing what you want to achieve with your social media marketing is crucial. All too often people dive in and start creating content, without thinking about the end goal. Is it brand awareness, traffic, lead generation etc. Think how those goals fit in the wider business goals too Sit down and take some time to plan… I know, you all want to dive straight in and make the fancy stuff on Canva but without a plan and SMART objectives there’s simply no way of tracking how effective the content is

To start off figure out what your brand is trying to portrait. Decide if your follower count needs to be quantity or quality. Create personas of your target audience! Who is the "follower" put yourself in their shoes, what they follow, what they watch ect. Start small and experiment. Remember to gradually change things up so you can measure what truly works!

Selecting the right platforms is a crucial decision. The optimal choices can differ depending on your industry. For instance, in the fashion industry, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are particularly significant and yield favorable results. While it's not necessary to maintain a presence on every platform, it's crucial to establish a presence on the relevant ones and maintain a consistent posting schedule. Additionally, it's essential to recognize that you don't have to generate distinct content for each channel. Instead, adopt a strategic approach to content creation, considering how it can be repurposed across different platforms effectively.

Platforms are everything, but just because TikTok is the hottest trend doesn't necessarily mean its what you need to focus on. This goes back to what your overall goal is and who your target demographic is.

Enhance your knowledge of marketing fundamentals, with a specific emphasis on their application to social media. This includes understanding audience targeting, developing compelling content, and establishing a strong brand presence.

Being on social media doesn't mean being on all the channels. You need to be on the platforms that will bring a return to you. So do your homework - know who your customer is and then research which platforms appeal to that target. You also need to take into account how much time you have available to spend on social media so better to give what time you have to just one or two channels to reap any benefits.

The obvious choice as this is written on LI and the highest level of audience is here, with the highest incomes, the highest number of b2b buyers are here. So assuming you are targeting professionals for professional reasons with an age of >30 years old = Linked In. Restrictions and latest updates on LI make it outreach without paid services… there are work arounds to this. If I have to pick one it is clearly LI even if my number of followers are higher in for example FB/Meta. Which one do you pick if you had to pick?

Checking out other accounts is key. Social media algorithms love certain sounds and hashtags, so it's good to know what's trending. Keep an eye on competitors, industry big shots, and influencers for inspo, but don't just copy-paste their stuff. 😬 Taking some courses is also super handy. Grow with Google, SEMrush, and HubSpot Academy got some cool free ones. I've done many of them and learned a lot. Hope this helps! ✨

Learn from people that work directly at the platforms. No one knows LinkedIn better than LinkedIn. No one knows Meta/IG better than Meta/IG. No one knows Twitter (X) better than Twitter (X). Don't believe the social media experts out there throwing out advice that have never managed a big brand account as they have never worked directly with these platform partners.

Definitely, learn from the best and see how you can incorporate what their doing, onto your own brand. Remember social media is about connecting with people so make sure your connection is genuine and original.

Stay current of the latest trends and techniques in social media marketing by subscribing to prominent blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels.

If you really like to master a platform join a group of experts on the specific platform and or get a coach who is on his/her top of the game. Quite easy to see how effective they are on connection communication and engagement of followers.

Discovering the most effective social media strategy is an important process. Only through experimentation can you determine what resonates best with your audience. Whether it's utilizing reels, a specific photography aesthetic, or a particular writing style, the optimal approach can only be discovered through trial and error. In my observations within the fashion industry across different channels, I've noticed that videos showcasing the story and the creative process behind product creation tend to perform exceptionally well. Given the allure and creativity inherent in this process, such content often garners significant traction and engagement.

Experimenting what works will help you discover what your audience wants to see. Maybe you think your brand needs to be the next Duolingo mascot but in reality Osha doesn't want to see a construction company mess around the workspace. Jokes aside, experimenting is a drastic part of creating a social media strategy, just remember to take small steps so your able to track what works.

Acquire hands-on experience by overseeing social media management for small businesses, non-profit organizations, or by working independently as a freelancer on platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr.

Engagement is one piece of social media marketing that some people do not remember to do. Beyond bot comments, every comment should be engaged authentically. Your community is important and also those adjacent. If you find someone on another platform looking for an answer to a problem YOU solve, then provide helpful information and guide them back to you or find a complementary account where collaboration can be symbiotic to BOTH audiences, it makes sense to create content cohesively. All ways to improve social media marketing from a collaborative standpoint are also helpful ways to improve outreach and also provide some confidence in showing up online as well.

Engage with your audience, remind them you are not just a social media page, you are a living breathing set of individuals. Take this into consideration when commenting or interacting with your audience, you are a direct representation of your brand.

Social media is characterized by constant change and adaptability. Strategies that are effective today may not be effective tomorrow, hence it is important to continuously conduct tests and experiments.

Using one of my favourite quotes, 'just because you build it, doesn't mean they will come'. Unless and until you engage on any of the social media channels, you won't really know what works and what doesn't. Don't be shy either. This is probably one of the biggest issues I come across with those starting out on socials - 'what do I say', 'how do I say it'. I can't stress authenticity enough - overthink your engagement and comments and it shows.