What is Social Media Marketing?

What is social media marketing anyway? In the digital age, where conversations, opinions, and interactions constantly buzz in the vast online ecosystem, one term frequently emerges at the forefront: Social Media Marketing (SMM). But what exactly is it, and why has it become such a pivotal aspect of modern business strategies?
Defining Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing, often abbreviated as SMM, refers to the use of social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands. It’s not just about posting an occasional tweet or uploading a photo; it’s a multifaceted approach that encompasses content creation, audience engagement, advertising, and analytics.
The Pillars of Social Media Marketing
- Content Creation: At the heart of SMM is content. This can range from blog posts shared on LinkedIn, short videos on TikTok, images on Instagram, to tweets on Twitter. The content should resonate with the brand’s voice, values, and the interests of its target audience.
- Engagement: Social media is not a one-way street. It thrives on interaction. Responding to comments, participating in conversations, addressing feedback, and creating content that encourages user interaction are all part of fostering engagement.
- Advertising: Most social platforms offer targeted advertising options. Brands can run campaigns based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. This paid aspect of SMM can amplify reach and drive specific actions, like website visits or product purchases.
- Analytics: What gets measured gets managed. Platforms provide insights into post performance, audience demographics, engagement metrics, and more. Analyzing this data helps brands refine their strategies and achieve better ROI.
Why is Social Media Marketing Important?
- Unparalleled Reach: With billions of users across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, social media offers a reach that few other channels can match.
- Targeted Engagement: Unlike traditional media, where messages are broadcasted widely, social media allows for precise targeting. Brands can engage niche audiences based on specific interests, behaviors, or demographics.
- Cost-Effective: While there are costs associated with advertising and premium tools, establishing a basic social media presence is free. This makes SMM particularly valuable for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
- Real-time Feedback: Social media provides immediate feedback. Brands can gauge reactions to new products, campaigns, or events in real-time, allowing for swift adjustments if needed.
- Building Relationships: Beyond promotions, social media is a space to humanize brands. It’s a platform for storytelling, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, and building genuine relationships with customers.
Challenges in Social Media Marketing
While the potential benefits are significant, SMM is not without challenges:
- Constant Evolution: The digital landscape is ever-changing. Platforms introduce new features, algorithms get updated, and user behaviors shift. Brands need to stay updated and agile.
- Managing Negative Feedback: The public and real-time nature of social media means negative feedback or crises can escalate quickly. Brands need a strategy to address such situations gracefully.
- Time-Intensive: Effective SMM requires consistent effort. From content creation to community management, it can be time-consuming.
Social Media Marketing is no longer an optional aspect of modern business; it’s a necessity. In a world where consumers are increasingly turning to social platforms for recommendations, reviews, and interactions, brands that harness the power of SMM stand to build stronger relationships, enhance their reputation, and drive growth. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a business owner just dipping your toes into the digital realm, understanding and leveraging social media marketing is key to thriving in today’s interconnected world.
Do you need your social media managed? Let our team at 98 Buck Social handle it so you don’t have to.

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Have any questions?
We have answers.
Can you help me grow Instagram followers?
We partner with Socialboost to help build Instagram followers. Click the link below to enroll. Plans start at $59/mo.
What photos or videos do you use?
By default, we can use the photos you have on your website as well as utilizing the plethora of photos available to us within our royalty free library.
If you have photos or videos for us to use, depending on your subscription, we welcome you to upload them into a Google Drive folder and share that link with us!
Looking for custom videos? Some of our plans include videos or you can add them to any plan starting at $98/mo!
How do you mimic my branding colors and style?
As mentioned above, depending on your plan, we can use whatever you’d like to provide us! If not, we’ll resort to using your website or our royalty free library.
That being said, we can come up with custom graphics that suit your branding style as an add-on to your posting subscription.
$98/month for 3 custom graphics each week
$148/month for 5 custom graphics each week
Note: The cost of custom graphics is on top of your monthly subscription cost
What is content review & approval?
Content review and approval is where your social media content creator sends you a weeks worth of posts, prior to their designated publication time the following week.
This way, you will have the chance to give us feedback on each post in case you’d like us to make a minor edit.
Note: One round of editing per post permitted, depending on your plan.
What are the results I can expect from your posting services?
The idea behind consistent posting onto your social media pages is to keep them active with content that promotes your business solutions, educates your audience to showcase your expertise and to also keep things lighthearted, it’s social media after all!
There’s nothing worse for a business than to earn someone looking into what you do, only for them to see a barren social media page. To them, it may appear that you are out of business or potentially a scam.
We are often asked about growing followers and generating sales or leads. These are great goals to have but please understand that those goals are better obtained through paid advertising campaigns.
For more information on paid advertising, please visit our paid advertising services.
Do you use a posting scheduler and how do you get access to my business pages?
We are fortunate to be partnered with CloudCampaign.com to utilize their excellent scheduling platform.
By signing up for our content services, we will set you up with your own Cloud Campaign workspace depending on your plan.
During onboarding we request admin access to your social accounts using a secure platform. This allows us to manage the occasional disconnect when the platforms push out updates.
Furthermore, with your own workspace you are welcome to view and edit content at your leisure!
Why do my posts say “Posted by Cloud Campaign”
We use Cloud Campaign, which is a 3rd party app, to scale social media management and posting. When a post says “Posted by Cloud Campaign”, it is only the admins of your company page that can see this and not your followers.