Every smart marketer knows that a social media presence is the way to a successful brand. At this point… I think we have all got that in our minds. However, brands struggle with the presence. They might have the correct social media profiles, post all the time, and link to their products everywhere but they still don’t have the online presence that they want/need. I mean… check out brands like McDonald’s on Facebook, Etsy on Pinterest or Starbucks on Twitter they all have a huge presence on social media.
How can you get your company to that point? Here are 13 ways that you can follow to boost your social media presence today!
1. Identify your audience
I know, I know… you hear this over an over but it seriously that important. Knowing your audience is the key to good social media and marketing in general. Otherwise, you are reaching people (and probably paying to reach some) that really just don’t care and will never interact. Use this post to determine keywords and to really dive into your audience but here is a quick overview.
- What social platforms does your audience use most? and at what time?
- What voice do you want to use? (casual, authoritative, etc.)
- What type of content do you want to publish?
Once you have segmented out your audience, get to know their problems and make your company the solution! Also look at how competing brands interact with their audiences and put your brand’s spin on it.
2. Create an editorial calendar
A lot of you reading have probably already done that (if you haven’t… jump on it). This is the easiest way to have a larger presence. Think of it this way… the more you post (with value to your audience) the more people see it on their feeds and like/retweet which gives you a larger reach.
Keep in mind that each platform is different so switch up your messaging when planning out your posts. There is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t be sharing a piece of content across everything… but there is also no reason for your Facebook post to only have 140 characters because you wrote it for twitter. Popular ones are:
3. Build relationships
Make a list of influencers in your industry and reach out to them – send them coupons, send them products for review, or just send them a friendly note introducing yourself. This is the quickest way to get your brand out there and build relationships.
Also – make sure you are interacting with your followers and with the social conversations around your industry. The way that a lot of people find brands is because they are retweeting their tweets, liking their Facebook posts, tagging them, and leaving comments. You don’t want to just interact with your followers and then forget about all the other people out there!
4. Be a human
This goes right along with #2 above… when you build a relationship or online presence you don’t want to be a scary robot that is just automated and doesn’t represent your brand. Remember that you are talking to humans on the other side of the screen. There is no reason for you to make all of your messages feel forced or stiff. Use an emoji or two, throw in a smiley face or exclamation mark, and make your customers feel like they are being heard if they are complaining… it is the quickest way to make sure that people see your brand as a group of understanding people!
Sprout Social has a great post on what brands should/shouldn’t be doing to automate their social responses.
5. Add photos
People love photos. Think about what you retweet, like, and share. It usually has a photo… doesn’t it?! Keep that in mind when you are sharing.
- Stock Photos (try to stay away but they are necessary sometimes)
- Personal Photos
- Team photos
- behind-the-scenes photos
- photos from your customers
- Quotes
- Infographics
If you got them… use them!
6. Make it easy for people to follow you
Ever been to a brand’s website that has a huge social presence and not be able to find their social icons quickly?… no? That is huge… making your social icons visible and easy to find will allow you to reach people that come to your website (so they already are interested in your brand) to see your amazing content!
7. See what is trending and join in!
Take advantage of the trending side panel on Twitter and use a hashtag that is trending. It an easy way to reach a new audience that might not have seen your content otherwise.
8. Don’t sell all the time
This goes along with creating a social media profile that gives your audience value. No one really wants to follow an account that constantly sells to them. Share posts that show off your brand’s personality and make your profile a place where your audience can come and get help with their issues in the industry.
Giving help is also a way to portray your brand as a thought leader. If you have the solutions to your audience’s problems – you have hit the jackpot!
9. Share amazing content that your audience doesn’t want to miss
See what your audience is liking and share content that they want. Creating a large social media following is partly about giving your audience content that they just can’t miss! We love National Geographic’s Instagram profile because they showcase all of their trips and expeditions. It really makes you want to travel (or that might just be me).
10. Make your goals attainable
Be honest with yourself and your goals. There is no way you are going to go from 10 followers to a million overnight… not even the biggest brands do that. Make your followers goal something that is a reach but something you can actually meet.
Also – make sure you give yourself a timeline so you can see your progress and see if what you are doing is actually going to achieve results in a certain amount of time.
11. Post on less mainstream platforms
Take into account that a lot of your audience is on mainstream platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. But, those social channels have so many posts a day that you have a lot of competition. Keep in mind that people use a lot of different platforms so research if your followers also use Reddit, Foursquare, Tumblr, or some of the less known social media site.
12. Engage
Make sure that you have all the notifications on for your social platforms. The worst is when someone mentions you with questions and you don’t see it for a couple of days and the response just seems too late.
You want to engage with those who post on your social media pages immediately. This means when someone posts something, talk back to them in real time and have a conversation!
13. Give them a reason to follow you
Your viewers are always going to be asking ‘why should I follow you?’ or ‘what is in it for me?’ … Give them a reason by holding contests or special discounts for your followers. Build their trust by peaking their interest. It also helps to like their page or profile back and see what they like/dislike then post more of that content. This will help you earn followers that actually want to see what you post.
The best way to engage people is to think about what you want to see and build off that. People will follow you when you bring value and it is interesting to follow you. Make sure you push your creative limit, keep talking with all of your followers, and branch out to find new ones.
Let us know if you have found a great way to increase your social presence that we haven’t listed here! Share with us below in the comments.
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