Even if you are a real pro at social media marketing, it’s very easy to feel lost at times. However, social media marketing is not very different to traditional marketing and it still utilizes the same basic principles. By using AIDA aka Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action, you too can boost your social media marketing efforts by much. Each part of the AIDA principle represents a separate aspect of internet marketing process. When you understand what each segment stands for, you are better able to streamline your social media marketing efforts towards building a better relationship with your key audience. Each part is of course co-dependent on the other, which means that you would also need to keep a bunch of key tools handy to measure the soundness and performance of each of these aspects to optimize your overall strategy. Here is a look at how the AIDA principle applies to social media marketing and how you can benefit from it. 
Awareness
In terms of social media marketing, awareness is really the key. You, as a social media marketer, need to be aware of the full range of features that each social media platform offers. You also need to be aware of the type of audience that each platform draws and tailor your campaign and content accordingly. For example, you cannot use a Pinterest account to promote a video marketing campaign and using a YouTube account to promote print ads would be just as redundant. Similarly, using a Facebook account to connect with professional contacts and using a LinkedIn account to manage casual connections would be just as counterintuitive. The main point here is to be aware of the reach and limitations of each social media platform and use it connect to different types of audiences.
Interest
Setting up different types of accounts across different types of social media platforms would be just the starting point for your social media campaign. Once you have grabbed enough eyeballs, you would need to ensure that your audience translates into potential customers as well. You can use social media campaigns to promote your brand, tell people about special offers, discounts, sales, new lines, etc. and even use the same platform to have conversations with customers. Not only do you need to evoke customers’ interest, you also need to sustain it. When customers know that they can use your social media pages to get their problems and queries answered, they begin to trust your brand even more.
Desire
We cannot emphasize enough that simply setting up social media accounts and running marketing campaigns through it would help you convert page views, likes and page views into actual paying customers. However, what you can use your social media presence for is to create and sustain a desire for your product among your clientele. Special offers and discount coupons are a great way to lure people subscribed to your social media pages over to your e-store or main site. However, at that point, you would need to ensure optimum service. Ensure that your website is easy to navigate and that the presentations you have on there are easy to understand and informative.
Action
Now that you have the customers’ attention, you have even lured them to visit your e-store and main site; you need to ensure that you do not miss a sales opportunity. A customer that needs to spend half an hour trying to buy an item from your site would be less inclined to do business with you the next time. Make sure that the sign up, lead form, purchase and payment options on your site are easy to fill up. Wherever possible, allow customers to integrate and link their social media pages and accounts to your main website. This simplifies the signup process and login process for customers and they are more likely to return to your site to do business again. Moreover, offering payment options like cash on delivery, net banking payment, secure payment etc. lessen the chances of your customers feeling cheated or losing their money on your site. To finish everything off, of course, you would need to ensure that your post-purchase service and goods are high quality to ensure that customers give you a good review on your social media pages!
