Social Media Marketing In Zimbabwe – How To Get Started!

Facebook, is growing a ridiculous rate in Zimbabwe, Africa and globally. With 800 million users and counting, it’s not a question of when, or whether or not start using Social media marketing or not…it’s a question of how and how to get started.

It’s not just Facebook either. Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Yookos, Sha (Zimbabwe’s own), the list goes on. Everyday, a little more of your target audience starts using these platforms. You can’t afford to miss out…

Here are a few simple steps to get you started in Social Media Marketing

1. Who is Your Audience? What do they do online and where? Where ever that is, your brand need representation. A sure bet for almost everyone is Facebook. In Zimbabwe, it’s said that almost a million accounts are active on Facebook. Twitter and LinkedIn have been growing steadily too. I’m also excited about Google Plus, Yookos and Sha too because over time they will represent fantastic online destinations and hangout spots for many a Zimbo.
2. Create Killer Content. Boring is marketing suicide, this is EVEN more true in social settings. What does your audience find interesting? If you’re into real estate, then you need to be more creative than simply posting “House for sale”. No one remembers that, no one shares (spreads it). Try “Is this house better than Phillip Chiyangwa’s House? type discussions. Try Would you pay a million dollars for this (show pictures). Get the idea?
3. Integrate Your Marketing. Make sure your Facebook page or Google Plus brand page is on your business card, in your press adverts etc. Drive traffic to these places with your email signature, and your brochures. The idea is to use one medium to make the other stronger.
4. Stay Fresh – The idea with social media marketing is that you’re opening up communication lines with your audience. Here, they can get to know, trust and love you more by interacting with the personality of your brand in new ways. That means it’s different from a typical website. Your content needs to be continually updated and fresh to keep people coming back and referring their friends.
5. Experiment. Look, Social media isn’t like a pretty brochure that tells what you want to say. It’s interactive. That means you need to be open to the opinions and ideas of your audience. Sometimes they agree with you, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they like your ideas, others times they won’t. You’ll learn what works over time, experiment. This isn’t something to shrink back from, embrace it, it comes with the territory.

Over time, if you do your job well, you’ve got an online social circle that’s regularly talking about you, referring you and pushing your brand. They feel like they know you, like you’re a real friend. And everybody loves to do business with people they actually like.