Social Media Tips Every Business Should Utilize
Today, there are billions of users across different social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Social media has now established itself as an essential part ofmarketing. For many businesses though, it’s a tough nut to crack.
Even with all of those people, building an audience of your own can still be a challenge. To help with that, here are 5 ways you can boost your social media presence.
1. Nurture Genuine Connections
Social media is a two-waystreet. It’s not enough to just post blogs and updates – you have to actually interact with your audience. Doing so will build trust and keeps you on the top of their mind.
Start by simply replying to comments or messages. You can also share from other sources that yourfollowers might like and ask for their opinions. Joining Facebook groups related to your industry and participating in their discussions is another good way to connect.
The key is to make sure your audience feel that there’s someone on the other side of the screen who cares.
2. Use Different Types of Content
Eye-catching images are a staple of social media content because they’re, well, eye-catching. They’re much better at drawing attention than a big block of text.
Video has been taking off recently, especially live streams. It’s one of the most powerful and authentic ways to engage with your audience, just short of meeting them in person.
This goes to show how important it is to diversify your content. Don’t just keep posting blog after blog. There are other forms of media out there!
3. Understand What Works On Different Platforms
Not all social networks are created equal. People expect to see different types of content on different platforms.
Here’s a quick rundown on what performs well on certain networks:
Facebook: Videos, blogs, and other content that your audience may find interesting or entertaining.
Instagram: Visual content such as high-quality images and short videos.
LinkedIn: Content for professionals like company news, jobs, and industry updates.
That’s not to say other types of content can’t work on these platforms. You just have to make sure that what you’re sharing is relevant to the audience you’re showing it to.
4. Avoid the Hard Sell
With so many potential customers right in front of you, it can be tempting to constantly promote your products and services.
Resist this temptation. As the saying goes, people love to buy but they hate to be sold.
Social media marketing is all about building trust. And it’s hard to do that if your followers think all you want is for them to open their wallets. Instead, focus on providing as much value as possible through relevant and interesting content.
When you do post the occasional promotion, who do think your audience will buy from? The sleazy salesman or the business that has their back?
5. Keep Up With Trends
Trends come and go but that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. When it comes to social media, keeping up with the newest trends can help accelerate your growth.
As we’ve already mentioned, video continues to rise in popularity. Users are spending more time using socialmessaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger which allows businesses to have a one on one conversation with their customers. Influencer marketing (our specialty here at It Crowd) helps you reach an audience you might never have if you were on your own.
While it’s important to stay on top of the latest strategies, that doesn’t mean you have to apply them all. Follow the trends that make sense for your business so you can focus on what’s likely to make an impact.
Relatively speaking, social media marketing is still very young. Things continue to evolve and nobody has it completely figured out. But if there’s one thing that’s been true from the start it’s that putting your audience first is the cornerstone of good marketing.
