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Glossary – SMM (social media marketing)

SMM (social media marketing)

Nikiforov Alexander
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What is SMM?

SMM, or social media marketing, is an important area in marketing, whose main task is to promote a brand through social networks. It is not just about posting and gathering likes. SMM allows companies to attract and retain their audience, increase customer loyalty and brand recognition, as well as generate leads and make sales. For many successful companies, SMM is the only channel for online promotion.

Although SMM is often associated with popular social networks such as VKontakte, Instagram*, and Facebook*, this direction is not limited to just these platforms. Brands can use a variety of resources to find their target audience, including:

  • YouTube
  • Odnoklassniki
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter (rebranding to X)
  • Reddit
  • SoundCloud
  • My World
  • Discord

Additionally, there are regional social networks in local markets. For example, one of the most popular in China is QZone. Considering local platforms is crucial when working with foreign audiences. SMM can generate sales even from unexpected sources; for instance, Pinterest users often click links and order products on Amazon.

Why is SMM necessary for business?

The main goal of SMM, like any advertising strategy, is to increase business profits. However, it is important to note that working on social networks does not yield instant results. Even if a user visits the account through an ad, this does not guarantee an immediate purchase. Most likely, they will start exploring the content. Therefore, it is important for companies to systematically and qualitatively manage their social media to ensure good conversion.

Here are several tasks that can be solved with SMM:

  • Increase traffic. Posts on social media can redirect users to the official website, leading to increased traffic. For example, article announcements or promotions with links attached to the site.
  • Enhance loyalty. Various methods are used for this, such as:
    • Demonstrating the inner workings of the company through photos and videos.
    • Publishing testimonials from satisfied customers with photos or videos.
    • Telling stories about employees, which makes the business more human.
  • Engage users. Contests and polls create an emotional connection with the brand if the content is interesting and evokes emotions.

Social networks help minimize the distance between the brand and the customer. You can not only talk about the benefits of the product but also become a part of your customers' everyday lives, creating an emotional bond with them.

What does SMM consist of?

Social media marketing includes several key stages:

  • Market, competitor, and target audience analysis;
  • Development of an SMM strategy;
  • Creation of a content plan for a day, week, month, or year;
  • Content creation: texts, designs, videos;
  • Monitoring news and quick response to them;
  • Community management: communication with subscribers and organizing activities;
  • Paid promotion: setting up targeted ads and working with bloggers;
  • Tracking effectiveness: growth of subscriber base, engagement, and sales.

In small companies, all these functions are performed by an SMM manager. In large organizations, the work is divided among several specialists, such as copywriters, designers, and targeted marketers. In some cases, professional producers are involved in developing strategies to help identify the audience and articulate the project's values.

What promotion tools are used in SMM?

There are many ways to promote your accounts on social networks, which can be used simultaneously or separately depending on the budget and business goals:

  • Targeted advertising. Paid ads targeted at the audience can include clicks to the website or registrations.
  • Retargeting. Ads for users who have already interacted with your brand but have not made a purchase.
  • Advertising with bloggers. Posts, stories, or videos placed on other accounts can be paid or barter-based.
  • Content marketing. Creating useful content that helps build trust and loyalty towards the brand.

How to evaluate the effectiveness of SMM?

The effectiveness of SMM is evaluated using various metrics that can be common for marketing or specific to SMM:

  • General marketing metrics:
    • Number of visits to the website from social media.
    • User behavior on the website: bounce rate, duration of page views.
    • Conversion: registrations, purchases, and participation in events.
  • SMM metrics:
    • Growth of subscriber base.
    • Number of views of publications.
    • Number of reactions to content.

This data can be tracked using analytical systems, such as Google Analytics or specialized tools for SMM analysis. It is important to remember that evaluating effectiveness should align with the goals of social media presence, whether it is sales, brand development, or community building.