Both new and well-established brands use social media to increase their track record, generate leads and increase sales. Creating a brand that uses social media might feel like a huge undertaking with all the channels that you have. But using social media to interact with people, and organically grow your brand, is simpler than ever.
If you're just starting out or have been involved for years on social media sites, there's still scope for growth. Each platform has varying uses.
In this post, we'll cover tips and tricks from the social media that you can use to improve your marketing plan. Then we will break down the top social media sites that you can use, and give advice to make the most of each.
Social media tips for any platform
Adopt a specific method for each social media platform
As well as planning certain elements of your marketing strategy, you need to have a clear and deliberate strategy for each channel you are using. Each platform includes complexities and best practices for engagement generation. Your brand may not need to have a presence on every site, but you need to have a plan unique to the site you are using for your posts to be targeted.
Making sure that you can answer such questions as:
- Why do I use the platform?
- Who is going to reach out on this platform?
- What types of posts work best on this platform?
- How special are my posts on this platform?
When you are having trouble answering these questions, it might be time to look deeper into why you spend time there. This will also help you build your plan for that platform by answering these questions.
When you're just starting out, prioritize the quality of your content over the number of posts and pages you're using. Attempting to tackle a new strategy on five separate social media networks often results in doing a mediocre job with little or no results for most companies, especially small businesses.
Be Regular
How frequently you post should be unique to any social networking platform that you use. Some sites like Twitter and Instagram Stories allow you to be involved several times a day to bring your audience to the fullest potential. Certain types of messages, such as daily Instagram posts and Twitter alerts, are not as urgent, and can be used less sparingly. Include considerations such as how the algorithm operates for each site, and whether content posts chronologically or is selected based on certain criteria when deciding the post strategy.
This links back to your marketing strategy for social media. You must portray the following:
- How much you intend to share best practices for that product on any social media site.
- What kind of content you intend to post to any website.
- Who's the target audience on any network.
Know, hundreds or even thousands of other people typically follow your followers. It is possible to get lost and forgotten if you don't post new content as much as the other accounts out there.
Focus on the message
Each platform that you are using will have its own specific demographic. The audiences you're targeting on each platform can overlap, but knowing the demographics is still important so you can customize the message to make the most of the effect.
Getting a focused message will help you build content of higher quality that resonates with your audience and is on brand. You can count on your social media posts to still be important to your followers when you have a strong message that you are not straying from.
Let's presume you want to share a post targeting the finance industry on LinkedIn. It may not be applicable to your followers who are in IT or the health industry. Instead of filling their stream with irrelevant content, you can opt to display only the posting to people in the finance industry inside your network.
Keep an eye on what’s trending
Keep an eye on current trends emerging on each site until you have your main messaging decided. If you see an increasingly common trend or tactic and it aligns with your message, then it's a great idea to capitalize on it to drive engagement.
Be sure to hop onto any new trend you see on the internet. Making posts that do not fit to appear important to your overall message is a fast way to alienate your target audience. You never need to produce a particular form of content just because you see other brands doing so.
Join Different Community
Smaller groups are becoming more and more relevant within big social networks. Whether it's Facebook Groups, Twitter Chats or LinkedIn Groups, there are plenty of opportunities inside your niche to communicate with like-minded individuals and businesses.
As we find Inspire & Elevate, 40 percent of social marketers believe that private community groups are going to become more important. Participating in these groups will help you develop yourself as an expert or your company and allow you to communicate with your most enthusiastic audience.
Look for your industry-related groups on the social media sites on which you're involved, then join and actively interact. You may also create your own brand groups to build a public with common interests that are inspired to become your brand advocates.
Engage with the audience
Users of social media want genuine engagement with the brands which they follow. So, besides posting high-quality and relevant content, be sure to keep an eye on any forum you use and connect with your audience. Answer questions on blogs, handles or hashtags that come up.
If you see other users talking about your brand or company, don't be afraid to chime in and some some add value. Users want to learn that on the other side of the screen, there is a real human and not just a robot sending out links every day.
Make sure your plan on social media involves answering the questions asked on each website. You will respond promptly to people mentioning you, thanking people who share your content and adding value when you see people mentioning your brand.
You may also start discussions with your audience by asking them questions and answering or contributing to the conversation afterwards. Most of the sites make it easy to ask people questions and address them in the post's comments.
You want your presence on social media to reflect a two-way communication channel. Engage WITH people and not just speaking to them.
Partner with microinfluencers and influencers
One of the hardest aspects about having a presence on social media is gaining the trust of your audience on sites that are so filled with content. A better way to more directly approach your market is to work with influencers in your niche to help you sell your brand more organically.
You introduce your brand to a new audience that may not be aware of your business when you partner with an existing influencer who has an active follower in your niche.
Often, several brands turn to nanoinfluencers, who develop a limited but enthusiastic and personal followers niche. A micro- or nano-influencer can convey an extra level of credibility as influencer marketing becomes increasingly popular. With an audience of loyal followers who know them, like them and trust them, having a shout out would let their followers know they also recommend you to trust as a brand.
Conclusion
Social networking is ever-changing. Every year we see new changes and patterns emerging, causing marketers to have to change their strategies in order to keep up. If you're following a big social network or just getting started, use these tips to develop your marketing campaign for social media. They will help to bring you ahead of your rivals and expand your market in a way that adds value to them and to the whole of your industry.
What are some tips and tricks on social media which you use to grow your brand? Tell us in the comments!
