Whether you’re a large organization or a small business, following these tried and tested methods will help your social media gain traction, reach people, and generate leads that turn into sales. While there is no one size fits all equation, if you keep these general tips in mind you can be well on your way to having a successful social media presence.
- Get your bearings first
Know your audience, figure out who they are, what they want, and where they are online. Have a strategy based on what you want to accomplish and a roadmap for how to get there.
2. Provide value
Ask yourself why would anyone follow your page? Give people a reason to keep coming back. Whether it’s important information, to chat, have a laugh, or learn something new, create content that has real value to your audience.
3. Don’t take yourself too seriously
Unless it is highly out of your brand character to show a sense of humor, being relatable without looking like you are trying too hard can give you quick wins and keep users following your pages in the long run.
4. Be relevant and timely
Responding to current trending topics and being quick to publish company news and statements makes your pages more interesting and valuable to your audience.
5. Be responsive
Social media channels are not a one-way platform. You will get messages, complaints, and feedback on your pages, so be open to it and respond, quickly. It’s a valuable customer service tool. Each complaint is an opportunity to improve your services and show the world that you are responsive and striving for constant improvement.
6. Remember to promote
Do not expect your posts to reach a lot of people or your pages to grow organically, even with the right hashtags. These social media platforms are a business at the end of the day and every year they are decreasing the reach of business pages to get you to advertise. If you’re going to be on social media, you need a budget to back it up to promote your services, brand, or yourself.
7. Engage and be part of the community
Identify topics and hashtags that relate to your business and join the conversation. The trick here is not to promote your products on these threads but to add some perspective or insight on the topic.
8. Think beyond the platforms
Social media on its own isn’t very effective. Link your pages to the rest of the world. Whether you have a physical location, email, or even printed materials, have them intertwined with your social pages and synched with your other marketing efforts.
9. Be human
Don’t just post ads and branded content. You should post things that happen in real life with people and not just models. Show your employees and the people supporting or engaging with your company. The best way to be relatable is to show the human element behind your brand.
10. Monitor and analyze
Analyze the data and insights you get from these social media platforms. Learn what worked and what didn’t, then apply it moving forward. You can figure out when the best posting times are, the demographics of your audience, whether people are interacting with you or not, and much more.
Final thoughts:
Don’t fall for anyone who tells you they are a social media expert. Every brand has its own audience, way of communicating, objectives, and budget. You need to spend the time figuring out what works best for you on social media and put it in context within your greater marketing plan. Your channels will require constant care, attention, and investment to reach your goals over time, so be patient, curious, and open to different approaches.
Do you need more guidance on any of these steps? Reach out and we’ll be happy to help.