Social Media Marketing Tips for Beginners
Why Social Media Marketing Matters for Your NZ Business
Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools available today. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn weren’t initially created just for business, but they’ve certainly evolved into powerful commercial platforms. Most small businesses in New Zealand can benefit significantly from a strong social media presence. That’s widely understood. That’s why we’ve put together these social media marketing tips for beginners – we want to help you draw an audience and build your brand online.
If you’re not using the power of social media, you’re potentially missing out on putting your brand in front of billions of potential viewers. Seriously, recent statistics from resources like DataReportal show billions of social media users around the world, and that number continues to grow. Most businesses would want to learn some social media marketing tips to get their marketing started or improve their results.
Getting Started: Strategy and Platform Choice
First, develop a clear strategy. What are your goals? Who are you trying to reach? What resources (time, budget) can you allocate?
Choose the Right Social Media Platforms
Although you *could* put your brand on every social media platform, you’d quickly find you’re spending far too much time on social media marketing without seeing great results. Honestly, plenty of people find social media marketing incredibly exhausting – we suspect those people lack a clear strategy. Rather than doing an average job on six social networks, why not start with, say, two or three and create a strong presence on those?
Which platforms suit your target audience?
While many social media users are on multiple platforms, each network has its unique appeal and user demographics. You can use the strengths of each network to get the most value. For example, almost everyone knows that LinkedIn is the primary place for B2B marketing, whereas Facebook and Instagram are often great for B2C marketing.
Tailoring Content for Popular Platforms (YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram)
You also want to think about what kind of content you enjoy creating, or what best showcases your brand.
Content for YouTube
Video content is hugely popular across all forms of social media. If you enjoy creating videos, you should definitely consider using YouTube. People trust YouTube as a video platform and often search it much like they use Google for answers to questions, reviews, and current events.
Content for Facebook and TikTok
Video is also one of the most popular types of content on Facebook, often performing better than static images or text alone. Facebook’s algorithm often favours videos uploaded directly to its platform over external links (like YouTube). That said, Facebook is still a great place for images and text-based content too, offering plenty of tools to build an audience and promote your brand with ease (e.g., targeting specific demographics, hosting live streams, using paid ads).
Similarly, the rapid rise of TikTok showcases the huge appetite for short-form video content online. According to app download statistics, it has been one of the most popular apps globally in recent years. Videos can go viral extremely quickly on TikTok, so if you’re aware of current memes and trends, you could potentially attract a large following (and potential customers).
Content for Instagram
Instagram is a highly visual platform that supports various video formats alongside its core strength in imagery. It’s increasingly suited to eCommerce and business marketing but is also very competitive. You’ll typically need to combine great graphic design and photography skills with a clear brand voice and plenty of engaging behind-the-scenes content to build an audience. The Instagram algorithm generally rewards consistent effort, so regular posts, stories, and engagement are usually required to maintain visibility.
Building Your Presence: Profiles and Content Creation
First, you have to fully complete your brand profile. Whichever platforms you choose, make sure to:
- Pick an appropriate username (handle)
- Connect a business email address
- Use professional profile pictures/logos
- Write a clear description of your brand and what it stands for
Few people will follow an empty or unclear account! Make your brand identity clear and be sure to explain the value in following you. Tell potential followers how connecting with your brand benefits them or adds value to their lives. If you’re unsure how to approach this, look at your competitors. See what content they’re creating and how it’s performing. Adapt successful ideas for your own unique content.
For example, behind-the-scenes content often performs well for all kinds of brands. Small NZ businesses, in particular, can benefit from the sense of connection and transparency it fosters between followers and the brand. Showing the people behind the brand and their day-to-day activities is often very engaging.
Beyond Content: Building Genuine Connections
While the goal is often brand growth, remember these are *social* networks. You should build genuine connections. Connect with people you know, engage with their content by leaving thoughtful likes and comments, and invite them to follow your page. Build relationships!
It can sometimes be daunting connecting with strangers online, and you usually have to work a bit harder to engage them. Below are some tips for building connections with new people:
- Search for relevant keywords or hashtags related to your industry on your chosen networks. Find relevant conversations and people discussing your areas of expertise.
- If someone asks for advice you can offer, help them out constructively in the comments.
- If you find valuable content from others, share or reshare it to your page (always giving proper credit).
- Engage appropriately in comment sections of relevant posts; see if you can answer questions or make valuable connections there.
It’s not just about follower numbers; it’s about creating and maintaining genuine relationships with other people and businesses online. You don’t want unengaged followers; they might unfollow or ignore you, hurting your engagement rates. Instead, aim for followers who genuinely enjoy your content and are interested in long-term engagement.
Patience Pays Off: When to Introduce Promotions
Perhaps one of the most overlooked social media marketing tips is timing your promotional content. Instead of leading with sales pitches, consider waiting several months before heavily promoting your business online. Focus first on creating valuable and engaging content. Share your brand’s values and mission. Establish a clear brand identity on your chosen platform during the initial months of posting.
Why? Because you can’t effectively promote to an empty room, and constantly selling from day one doesn’t look great either. Instead, build up your account with valuable content and plenty of information about your brand and industry before heavily pitching products or services. This helps to draw users in and keep them engaged for when promotional content does appear.
Your Next Steps in Social Media Marketing
So, what do you think of these essential social media marketing tips for beginners? We hope these insights help you to launch or grow your brand online, one step at a time. Be sure to check out our other blog posts for more information on SEO, social media, and website design!