Social media marketing, or SMM, is a form of internet marketing that involves creating and sharing content on social media networks in order to achieve your marketing and branding goals. Social media marketing includes activities like posting text and image updates, videos, and and other content that drives audience engagement, creates brand awareness, and can include paid social media advertising.

Before you begin creating social media marketing campaigns, consider your business’s goals. Starting a social media marketing campaign without a social strategy in mind is like wandering around a forest without a map—you might have fun, but you’ll probably get lost.

Here are some questions to ask when defining your social media marketing goals:

• What are you hoping to achieve through social media marketing?
• Who is your target audience?
• Where would your target audience hang out and how would they use social media?
• What message do you want to send to your audience with social media marketing?

Social media marketing can help with a number of goals, such as:

• Increasing website traffic
• Increasing new patients
• Raising brand awareness
• Creating a brand identity and positive brand association
• Improving communication and interaction with existing patients

The bigger and more engaged your audience is on social media networks, the easier it will be for you to achieve every other marketing goal on your list!