Social media has become one of the most effective ways to promote your brand, product, or company.
Everyone hates a vacuum. Ask any empty room and it will probably tell you that it’s terrible to be left alone.
The same applies to social media. Creating a profile on a platform and never interacting with it again is like leaving the house with the windows open on a stormy night – you can expect to get soaked when lightning strikes.
With so many different sites available, it can be hard to know where to begin when creating an online presence. However, there are several tricks of the trade that will help you stand out when marketing your business on social media sites.
Here are a few tips to become a social media hound and establishing an effective presence on social media sites:
Know your platform
Choosing the wrong platform can seriously damage your online presence if you’re not careful. The first step to choosing the right social media site for your business is to know what each platform is best at.
Snapchat – This platform is great for connecting with a younger audience. The fact that content only lasts for a short period of time means you can share daily content without worrying about it cluttering up your feed.
Instagram – With over 1 billion users, Instagram is a great way to connect with a wide audience. It can be used for a variety of different content like product shots, behind-the-scenes photos, and travel photos. However, photos have the best engagement rate, so this is the content to focus on.
Facebook – While this is the most popular social media platform, it’s also the trickiest to get right. Posting on Facebook requires a much more careful approach than the other sites. To get the most out of your Facebook page, you’ll want to focus on creating longer content.
Twitter – With such a short character count, Twitter is the place to be if you have something to say. While it’s a great platform for connecting with influencers, you’ll want to avoid pushing sales offers and product promotions on Twitter.
Instead, focus on generating a healthy debate by posting informational content and asking questions.
Post quality, not quantity
The word “posting” may conjure up images of a stock boy frantically tossing boxes of cereal onto a store shelf, but don’t make the mistake of posting anything and everything on your social media platforms.
Posting quality content on a consistent basis is the best way to get the most out of your social media channels.
Rather than scurrying around, and trying to keep up with the latest fads, you’ll be able to build a reputable brand and have something to show for your efforts.
Use videos and photos
The world is becoming increasingly visual, with 42% of global consumers saying they are more likely to purchase from a brand that uses visual content.
If you’re planning on using video, it’s important to ensure that the sound quality is good, as 38% of consumers say that a poor sound quality image would deter them from buying a product.
Videos can also be a great way to connect with your audience, as 64% of consumers say that videos boost their confidence in a brand. When it comes to photos, make sure that you’re capturing high-quality images that are relevant to your brand.
Avoid posting stock photos that have been taken from other websites, as these only make your profile look unoriginal and uninspired. People want brands that inspire them, and stock photos don’t do that.
Don’t forget the ads
While organic content is great, it doesn’t always bring in the results that businesses aim for, and sometimes, a more direct approach is necessary.
If you’re struggling to get new followers on your social media accounts and your content isn’t gaining enough traction, it might be time to try paid ad campaigns. In fact, 41% of social media marketers use paid advertising as a primary marketing technique.
Paid ads can help you to boost your following, increase your brand exposure, and encourage new leads. Not all social media sites have the same ad options, so make sure that you check the available options on each site that you’re using.
The best ad types to try on each platform are as follows: Facebook – Sponsored posts, video ads, and carousel ads Instagram – Carousel ads Twitter – Promoted tweets Pinterest – Promoted pins
Don’t be afraid of a little experimenting
If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to be willing to try new things. While it’s important to keep your branding consistent on each social media platform, you also need to be willing to experiment with different content types and formats, such as video, polls, and GIFs.
However, you don’t want to try so many things at once that you end up confusing your audience with too many options. Start with a few different types of content and see which performs the best.
Find your influencers
When it comes to social media, a rising tide lifts all ships. By finding and reaching out to social media influencers in your industry, you’ll be able to take advantage of their large, engaged audiences.
While it can be tempting to ask for a favor and send an influencer a free product in exchange for a plug, you should avoid this method, as it can seriously damage your reputation.
Instead, try to find out what the influencers are already using and approach them with a mutually beneficial offer, such as partnering on a campaign or sharing your content.
Get to know your audience
Now, this might sound like a silly tip, but it’s the key to unlocking the potential of your social media accounts. If you don’t really know who your audience is, it will be hard to know what they want to see on social media sites, which means that you’ll have a tough time standing out from the crowd.
To get to know your audience better, try these tips: – Create a social media persona. – Host a social media poll. – Make a social media calendar.
Wrap-up
Now that you’ve made it through this list, you should have a much better idea of how to create an online presence for your brand. When choosing which social media sites to use, keep in mind that it’s better to focus on a few sites than to try to do everything.
By choosing a select few sites and putting all of your efforts into them, you’ll be able to reach more potential customers and have a higher chance of success.
There’s no doubt that social media is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes, so make sure that you are utilizing these channels to their full potential. With these tips, you should have everything you need to create a successful social media strategy for your brand.
Check out our Article “Making Money Online, A Myth Or A Lie”
