Many business owners think having a company page will get the desired visibility, but that is not the case, especially in today’s world. Having a solid social media presence will take strategy and some advertising dollars to truly get seen by the right people and at the right time.

Here is why:

the algorithms

All social media platforms have an algorithm for deciding what content to include in a person’s view. Therefore, creating content that platforms feel is relevant to your target audience is essential. The best way to do that is to ensure it is relatable and not promotional. To do this, you will want to play the game of probability by only displaying the content you know will get likes and shares in your organic (or free) posts.

You can do that by including video, which is a great way to ensure people interact with your content. It performs best with most algorithms because video captures the viewer’s attention quickly. However, video content should be short and speak to what your audience cares to learn.

Remember, you are playing the algorithm and competing against other companies who want to be seen by the target audience. This is why social media has become a pay-to-play arena. Advertising helps brands to beat the algorithm while ensuring so much reach.

The expertise

Social media is commonly overlooked as an area needing expertise since most people have a personal profile. But it takes a great deal of strategizing, which is why an expert is required for optimal performance. For example, most companies will do boosted posts since they are easy to do and navigate within Facebook. However, those posts only get seen by your existing following. Therefore, a boosted post may be better for something that hits the middle to bottom of the funnel followers.

To have successful advertising, it is imperative to understand conversion funnels, the dashboards, and the types of ads available in each platform. Companies must leverage the right types of adverts to reach a new audience or gather leads on content downloads. An expert can create and manage advertising campaigns to achieve your company’s objective.

Thetools

Most marketing agencies have tools for monitoring and managing social media initiatives. And while these tools can be pricey, they are worth it for making data-driven decisions. They also help with time management and campaign tracking. It is recommended to leverage these tools with the help of an expert.

Unfortunately, there are still small businesses that need to adopt social media. However, they need to understand the need for social media plans, strategy development and strong tactical execution. And while engagement has always been the number one determining factor for social media success, companies don’t understand how to turn that into revenue. Having a solid understanding of your sales cycle and where to set realistic expectations is vital if you are going to succeed. So, stop measuring adoption and start measuring effective interaction.

Ashley Jones is CEO and owner of Marcom Content by Ashley, LLC (MCA). MCA works with content to make it impactful and relatable for companies of all sizes. Known for digital marketing, MCA creates a predictable experience with memorable content.