Social media used to only be a source of entertainment, but nowadays, it has become an essential branding and marketing tool that all businesses need to incorporate to remain competitive and get in front of the right people. You might assume that in order to effectively manage your social media presence, you need to hire a millennial influencer with a massive following of over 10k users, and ply large sums of money behind every ad to get noticed but the reality is, anyone can gain a strong following, as long as you approach it strategically.
The key is to invest in your strategy, which starts with the creation of your brand guidelines and a social media calendar that forecasts at least 3 months of activity. Why? Well, that’s easy, they keep you focussed, on track, looking the part and consistent! In this blog post we delve into this deeper, take a look below…
Brand Identity and Guidelines
When launching your business, establishing your brand and aesthetic is a crucial step, as it sets the tone for your brand. It’s equally important to ensure that all of your social media accounts reflect your branding. Keeping everything cohesive allows your brand to be easily recognisable among your target audience. To effectively represent your brand on social media, include your company logo as your profile image and incorporate your branding colours where appropriate. Additionally, featuring your company mission statement in a visible location can provide your followers with a clear understanding of your business’s purpose and values as well as live, clickable links to your website where they can find out more. Haven’t got any brand guidelines? You can learn more here about how we can help you create them!
Follow The Right Accounts
We’ve all got those supportive likers in our lives, but sorry Mum, now is not the time. To ensure that the content in your social media feed is getting in front of the right people you need to make the first move and follow the right accounts. When you follow an account, there’s a high chance that they’ll follow you back, increasing engagement with your posts. If you concentrate on following the people you want to be your customer, there’s a greater likelihood that they’ll start to form as your brand community online.
TOP TIP: Write a list of business types or job titles that are an ideal audience for your offering and begin to filter down and follow those who meet the criteria. On LinkedIn, you are limited to following around 50 number of profiles a day so batch them up and work through each batch every couple of days.
Create High Quality Content
…And when we say High Quality, we don’t just mean High Production. Sure, you want to look the part, with the best resolution assets you can but really the quality of your content to your audience is defined by how relevant it is to them. Building a content plan inclusive with 3-5 key pillars and themes to focus your content around is crucial for success. By developing a bank of valuable content that stays true to the key themes that your brand represents, you can build credibility and become recognised as the go-to content hub for anyone looking for more information on your particular product type or industry sector.
Reshare Valuable Content
To be seen as a real champion in your sector and a brand with ‘the interests of your people’ at the heart, it’s important to share content beyond your own to give a more well-rounded and “unbiased” stream of content. One effective strategy is to subscribe to industry publications, receiving valuable content directly in your inbox. When something lands that resonates with you because it would be beneficial for your audience, then share it on your social channels.
TOP TIP: When you share someone else’s content, add a little comment of your own in the act of thought leadership – so people get to know your stance on the topic in question. People buy into people, so if they know how you feel about something, it might just help influence how they start to feel about it too.
Hashtag….. wisely!
To ensure that hashtags are effective on social media, it’s important to use the appropriate ones that align with your audience’s search intent. For instance, if you’re sharing social media tips, relevant hashtags would be #SocialMediaTipsForMarketers or #FreeSocialMediaTips, rather than generic ones such as #Content or #Media which run the risk of getting lost in a sea of sameness. Instead, using relevant hashtags can improve the visibility of your content in the crowded platforms. This increases the likelihood of your content reaching a more targeted audience and attracting new followers.
In today’s digital age, social media has become a crucial tool for businesses looking to expand their reach and engage with their audience. However, simply having a social media presence is not enough. Nor is thinking that people will magically start following your page. The key is to give them a reason to follow and to not being afraid to take the first step in approaching them. By implementing the tips in this blog, we believe that you will be able to build a strong social media presence that truly connects with your audience and helps you achieve your business goals.
If you need some help in managing your social media accounts and implementing an effective social media strategy to boost your following then please get in touch by clicking here!
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