Michael Saltzstein: Expert Social Media Marketing Tips

A recent study found that 97 percent of small businesses use social media to attract new customers. However, as Michael Saltzstein is quick to point out, 85 percent of business owners still aren't certain what social media tools they should use.

This is an interesting point, notes Saltzstein. Another intriguing bit of information is that 63 percent of consumers are more likely to buy from businesses with an established social media presence, which shows social media's huge potential to increase sales. This is what businesses should take full advantage of, says Saltzstein.

One way to optimize such marketing campaigns is to audit one's current social media presence. This way, a business can reflect on the effectiveness of previous social media campaigns and craft future strategies accordingly.

According to Michael Saltzstein, an audit entails studying all active social media accounts and checking if such networks offer complete information on the company. This data includes photos, about-us data, a mission statement, and more. Auditing also entails comparing one's presence to that of competitors and involves determining which sites contain the majority of one's target market or ideal customer demographic. Finally, a successful audit will determine which accounts need to be updated and which need to be removed altogether.

Remember that sometimes you should maximize one's presence on fewer social media platforms, which is superior to being spread too thin on many.

Social media marketing goals should be crystal-clear, Michael Saltzstein adds. Have established metrics for measuring campaign success. Ask yourself -- are you looking to gain more followers or likes? Or are you more focused on gaining retweets and leads than actual purchases? Curating engaging content will depend on such aims.

Whatever your objective is, make sure that it's specific and relevant. It should also be bound to a given period and attainable.

Michael Saltzstein spearheads global risk services, financial structures, multi-line claims, and strategic planning and enterprise initiatives. For more on Michael and his insights, click this link.