Social media is one of the most effective ways for businesses to meet and interact with their target audience. Since most of your potential customers are probably online engaging with other brands already, you just need to find the best ways to get in front of them.
So how can you do that?
We’re sharing five steps that will help you build your brand, connect with your audience, and boost your sales using social media.
- Open social media accounts on platforms where your audience hangs out. This requires a bit of research on your end but worth it in the long run. You don’t want to waste time on channels if your customers aren’t there. So, know the demographics for each social network as well as your own demographics to make sure you choose the right platforms. Creating a customer persona can help.
It’s important to keep in mind that it’s better to start small if you’re a small business owner without a big marketing department and budget. Social media is time-consuming, and doing one or two social channels correctly is far better than trying to manage four or five offering only mediocre content.
- Post consistently. Consistency is critical to social media marketing success. Develop a publishing cadence and stick to it. Channels that aren’t current reflect an unprofessional image, plus visitors and potential prospects may even think you’re out of business. Also, check your insights and analytics to find out when your customers are on social. Then, use that data as your guide to finding the best times and days to post.
- Vary your content. Entertain and educate first, sell second. Use a variety of post types, including video, text, polls, and image posts. Be sure some of your content solves a problem and is of value to your audience. Use original images instead of stock whenever possible. And remember to be consistent using your business logos, fonts, and colors in your content, which will help with brand recall and loyalty.
- Encourage engagement and interact with customers. Publish content that motivates your audience to share, like, and comment, such as helpful articles, events, polls, and inspirational information. Interact on your channels by responding to comments on your posts and engaging with other posts. Ask thoughtful questions and offer a perspective that reflects your expertise in your industry.
- Review your insights. Review your data on every social channel at least monthly to see what’s working and what isn’t. Don’t focus on vanity metrics alone but analyze what types of content get the most traction and use that to guide your future social strategy. If you don’t have the time to collect your metrics manually, then use a reporting tool like this one. When you understand the effectiveness of your social media, you’ll be able to make more of an impact.
We’ve covered the basics of how to use social media for your business. But we know you may have many more questions about this topic. That’s why we offer a free strategy session to help you get started. Please email us at letstalks@onepartsocial.com with any other questions or to book a strategy session!