In today's day and age, social media is a staple in the marketing world. There are 3.78 billion social media users, with people spending an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes per day on social media.
Can you see why social media is a huge marketing strategy that should not be overlooked? It is a powerful tool for any size business to reach prospects and customers, and driving leads and sales.
If you’re a brand today, it's likely you’re already on social media in some way, shape or form. But does your brand have a thriving social media presence, or is it just sort of there?
Maybe you're struggling to gain followers, or finding it difficult to get to people engage with your brand.
Whatever the case may be, there are a few basic principles you can use to create an awesome social presence, and boost your social media marketing strategies.
1. Identify Your Audience
Identifying your target audience and what they want to see on social media is the foundation of an outstanding social media presence.
"Many brands spin their wheels because they don’t post content that speaks to a defined audience."
Tip: Not everyone will be interested in your brand, and what you have to offer. Think about the sort of people you'd like to target, what problems you solve, who you will be most likely interested in your products.
And then get to know your audience as real people - their age, job titles, challenges, interests, even what other brands they already love.
Think about what message you want to portray to your audience. How do you want them to feel when viewing your content?
This sort of analyzing will help you understand how to target and engage your fans, followers, and customers - while at the same time helping you figure out the info / content you publish, your posting schedule, and which socials you choose to be active on.
2. Be Human
The second tip to boosting your social media marketing is seeking relationships, not just followers.
Reality Check: one of the worst mistakes you can make in marketing is coming off as the faceless corporation with zero personality.
The main reason you're on social media is to connect with your fans and/or customers. Getting to know you and your company on a more personal level has become an expectation for many followers.
Touch base often with customers. Don't be afraid to crack jokes. Talk to them like they're your friends! Respond to your audience and ask open-ended questions.
Listen to what their saying about you and your brand. If there are problems, own up, and do your best to remedy immediately.
Doing all these little things are what makes you stand out from the crowd, build up trust in your brand, and create a better customer experience.
3. Utilize A Management Platform
A social media management platform is a tool that allows businesses to manage multiple social media accounts across departments and devices.
Think of it as the hub for your socials - Everything from analytics and tracking, to scheduled posting, to managing automation, is all manageable in one interface.
There are multiple social media management tools out there to help you know exactly what’s happening on which platform, saving you tremendous amounts of time.
Quickly identify top-performing key words, content and trends. Manage all your responses from one place. No more logging into every account to see new messages, no more scrambling to publish posts on time!
4. Create Fresh, Memorable Content
Content reigns supreme when it comes to social media marketing. Make use of memorable headlines, and offer valuable, shareable to support them.
Phrasing your content to acknowledge and answer customer questions increases the chances that people will engage and take action.
The pictures can be eye-catching, and your promoting on point, but if your content is bland and useless, your efforts will probably fall flat.
For your socials to attract more attention, your content should offer something original, helpful, and interesting. Consistent, regular posting offering genuinely interesting content is truly valuable.
Here's some ideas to get you started:
- How-to's & Tips
- Stories & Reels
- Updates
- Polls & Contests
- Sales Announcements
- Local News
- Data & 'Fun Facts'
- Blogs
In short - if you want to stand out on social media, you can’t just parrot everyone else. If you want to make followers stop in their tracks and listen, original content is the way you're going to make it happen.
5. Use Eye-Catching Photos And Graphics
This one goes hand in hand with memorable written content.
People are visual.
When considering how to improve your social media marketing, images and media is one of the primary ways you can stand out from the crowd.
When done correctly, pictures, icons, and graphics all make it easy for people to process information, and take the next step.
Spice up your content with photos, videos, and infographics to engage a wider audience. Use imagery that is professional, unique, and match your brand aesthetic.
They don't have to be complicated! Posting snapshots of customers, your team, behind-the-scenes, and sneek peeks, are awesome ways to attract attention on your socials.
Don't forget to include your brand name and links on your visuals, so that you will get credit and more backlinks!
Tip: Tag your customers and feature their stories and photos - it’s an easy and free way to increase traffic to your platform!
6. Use Relevant Hashtags
Hashtags and slogans are a great way to improve social media marketing.
Spend some time researching the most relevant and effective hashtags for your brand. The more relevant and specific the hashtags, the better the brand visibility and engagement rates.
Try a variations of different hashtags and slogans (both generic and unique) until you figure out what's working for you, and then stick to it.
Use the same or similar combinations of hashtags across all your social platforms. Tracking your mentions and identifying supporters is a whole lot easier with the help of these hashtags.
7. Run An Advertising Campaign
Advertising on social media is a highly cost-effective way to gain visibility and drive traffic to your website.
"If you play your cards right, you can get your content and offers in front of a huge audience at a very low cost."
Most social media platforms offer incredible targeting capabilities, allowing you to pinpoint the types of people that are most likely to be interested in your business.
This is great for small businesses because it helps to grab the attention of consumers in key moments that matter.
Don't have time to run Social Advertising yourself?
Final Thoughts
If you’re building a brand, social media is definitely going to be part of the equation. Regardless of which platforms you choose or how you use them, remember that the main goal of social media is communicating and connecting - not a place to put on your sales pitch.
It’s a community for you to express your personality, demonstrate your values, share useful information, and build up those around you.
With the right approach, there's very little need for 'pitching'. Earn the trust of your fans and clients, and they will naturally follow and promote your business!
The trust in your brand is what will take your business to the next level, and you are bound to reap a following that will benefit you long into the future.
Do you have any other questions or tips of your own about how to boost social media marketing? Please share them in the comments below!
