How to maximize your ROI on social networks?

ROI is the sinews of war when it comes to influencer marketing on social networks. In this article, we explain how to maximize your ROI on social networks in 4 steps.

Create a social network marketing plan

Every business owner, or if it's a large company, the digital marketing manager, should create a social network marketing plan.

To do this, you first need to decide what the desired result is, with a quantifiable objective. You can't achieve it if you haven't defined it beforehand. Once you've established your objective, you need to determine which social networks will be most effective in achieving your goal.

This can vary depending on the business sector you're in. For example, LinkedIn tends to work well in a BtoB logic, while Instagram is preferable in a BtoC logic. 

Measure your results

You can't optimize your ROI on social if you don't know what your existing ROI is. That's why it's important to measure your results and set targets over time. For example, produce five new publications a week, publish at least one photo a day. Ideally, you should set medium-term objectives at the outset, such as those presented above (number of weekly publications). Next, analyze the ROI of this policy, and think in terms of results (reach, engagement...). Define the KPIs(Key Performance Indicators) that best suit your product and your objectives.

Google Analytics is a very useful tool when it comes to e-commerce. With this extension, you can measure the traffic generated by each social network, and therefore the level of sales from each of your social networks.

And don't forget the social network's internal measurement tools. There are a lot of them, and they can be tricky to handle, but if you learn how to use them, they're really quite useful. Ideally, as they vary from one social network to another, we recommend that you centralize and standardize everything in an Excel spreadsheet so that you can compare these statistics social network by social network.

Publish content that appeals to your target audience

Before you publish, make sure you know your target audience. You want to publish content that will consistently appeal to them. Make sure you know the latest trends in your industry. Create messages around these topics. 

Think about publishing events taking place within your company that could benefit customers. These could be new product releases, company announcements such as an updated privacy policy, etc. This can be another way of showing potential subscribers how committed your company is to providing them with value via social media. But don't fall into the trap of egocentricity. You also need to publish news from your sector, with no immediate link to your company, to interest your subscribers.

Perhaps you've chosen a niche market with an active community. This type of engagement strategy can work perfectly for a better return on social media investment. We also recommend that you specialize as much as possible in your product approach. If you're selling swimsuits, don't target the general public: target your audience: are they for sportspeople? And if so, which ones: occasional? Regular? Swimming? Water polo?

Share with others on social networks by commenting on and liking their publications.

Keep in mind that if you only publish content and never engage with your subscribers, you risk appearing too self-promotional. If you're publishing articles about a new product or service, for example, point out how customers can find more information on the company's website.

Think about the types of publications that will resonate most with people in your niche market. They'll be more likely to like and comment on them, especially if they contain photos or short videos.

Where appropriate, add hashtags to your caption when uploading images to Instagram or Facebook to increase visibility. Be careful, however, not to overuse hashtags.

Engaging with followers helps establish credibility and connection, invaluable for a brand these days. This could lead prospects to a higher return on investment by generating highly invested customers through social networks.

Consider a contest to engage your subscribers and increase your visibility. Encourage participants with something related to your business, such as product samples, raffles, etc.

Pay attention to what's being shared on Facebook and Twitter other than your content. Segmenting these audiences will help you identify key influencers in your niche market who could help you generate more ROI on social networks. Don't hesitate to offer something to your followers. This can be a good technique for converting them into short-term customers, and improving your brand image. 

If you don't have a lot of money, your ROI can easily be increased by taking care of your followers. A white paper is a good idea because it requires no financial resources, only time spent writing it. But don't forget: the more you address your target audience's needs, the more your ROI will be maximized.