Let's break the ice by saying there's no winner. Some people might argue SEO is better. Others will say social media is the most powerful weapon.
Of course, both are very powerful. And you cannot ignore one to focus on the other.
Here's a breakdown based on my experiences...
Similarities
- Both SEO & Social media marketing are very important digital marketing strategies.
- Both are inbound forms of marketing to bring attention to your website.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization is a really powerful strategy. To achieve high page rankings on search engines like Google, Duckduckgo, etc.
If your SEO is done correctly. That would bring you high amounts of organic traffic. Which is great for organic lead generation.
Social Media
Also known as SMM - Social Media Marketing
Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc...
Are used to promote your products or services. This also helps you boost your traffic organically. And if you have an audience - you can do so without spending a single dime on advertisements.
They also help in increasing your brand awareness. Which is a really important aspect.
Differences
Target Audience Personas
You will need different approaches when identifying your target audience for SEO. And for social media marketing efforts
For SEO
You can research and optimize your search engine keywords. And even queries based on the sources of traffic.
For Social media
You can start looking for people with specific demographics and age groups. Since you have access to that data.
Content Strategy
In SEO, the focus is to provide valuable and in-depth information about a specific topic or query.
This is done by writing out an article explaining a certain topic in full context. Usually 2000+ words.
Meanwhile, in social media marketing. The content is usually really small and bite-sized.
The aim is to trigger certain emotions and increase engagement on the platform.
Distribution
When it comes to SEO. All you can focus on is Google, pretty much. Since they still occupy a huge chunk of the market.
But in terms of social media. There are so many platforms you can focus on. And a certain type of content gets better results on some platforms. While no results on another.
For example:
If your content is image-based. Then you will see much better results & engagement on Instagram & Facebook. More than Twitter or LinkedIn.
However, if your content is informational or bite-sized. Then you will see far better results on Linkedin or Twitter.
Analysis
SEO takes a lot of time and patience to get right and keep going. Google won't index or rank your website to the first page on day one.
You have to be consistent and tell search engines that you are a credible source of information. Reduce your drop out rates and increase your CTR (Click Through Rates)
While on social media - it doesn't take a lot of time to see results.
Most of the time you will find out if your funnel fails. Within a day or a week. Depending on the size of your target demographics.
All the data is provided to you in real-time. For social media websites like Instagram. You can see your engagement, likes, etc. as they happen.
Pros of SEO
Search engines are much more efficient at scale. When it comes to generating organic traffic to your website. Even more so than all the social media websites combined.
The reason being. Where do people go to find answers? Google.
SEO is a long-term game. You will not see the results right away. But it's definitely worth it to play the game.
You will:
- Bring in highly targeted traffic.
- Build a broad online presence.
- Gain credibility & Trust.
Pros of Social Media Marketing
When it comes to planning your social media efforts. You need to consider which platforms you will be posting on.
What time will you post on, etc... You can always schedule your posts in advance as well.
Through social media you will:
- Engage with your target audience on a 1:1 level
- Increase brand awareness
- Increase shareability
- Get support through comments & replies
The Bottom Line
You cannot ignore one over the other. You need to focus on both if you are trying to grow your brand.
Go ahead and distribute your attention & budget for SEO as well as Social media. And you will not regret it.
That's it for this guide. Follow me @shubmakes for more such breakdowns.
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