Social media has changed a lot over the past decade and chances are, you’re a bit overwhelmed trying to wrap your head around how it all works. Back then, you might spot a few business profiles as you scroll through your friend updates on Facebook or Instagram, but today, it seems that everyone is competing for your attention. With over 80% of marketers today relying on social media to raise brand awareness, a solid social media presence is no longer an option, but a necessity for businesses.
If you find yourself stuck in a rut or starting completely from scratch with a social media strategy for your business, it’s time to go back to the basics. The following tips can help you get the ball rolling in creating a robust social media presence for your brand.
Choose the Right Mix of Social Channels
The first step in building your social media presence is deciding what social channels you should focus on. Large brands with an extensive customer base tend to have a social presence across multiple platforms, but what if you are a small business? Below is a quick overview of some of the major social platforms businesses use today:
- Twitter: With minimal set-up required, Twitter is a great space to build customer service with your followers. It’s also a great space to share short blurbs about your company with photos, videos, or polls.
- Facebook: Known as one of the most popular social media platforms, Facebook can be a tough space to navigate for businesses. With constant algorithm changes, it can become difficult for businesses to grow consistently. Facebook’s ad platform is a great place to invest if you are interested in paid promotions, as well as a must-have for brick-and-mortar businesses looking to target local followers allowing for check-ins and reviews.
- Instagram: Creativity with visual content is key on this social platform, encouraging brands to create unique ways to grab the attention of your audience with eye-catching photos and clever captions.
- LinkedIn: Mainly known as a professional network, LinkedIn can be beneficial for those looking to network in the B2B space. This platform is also a great way to connect with industry leaders and businesses to share helpful information about your company.
- YouTube: Considering that video represents the top-performing type of content today across nearly all the social media platforms, YouTube is a great space to house your videos if you are already producing them, plus since YouTube is owned by Google, utilizing this platform will give you an extra boost when it comes to .
Surprisingly, this is just a short list of some of the available social platforms out there today. Instead of trying to master all of them, figure out where your customers or competitors are hanging out the most and start there.
Fully Complete Your Profile
One of the most important basics of social media marketing is making sure you fully complete your profile. Not only will you look more professional, but it will also make your business easier to find. Make sure to claim your business’ name and URL and keep it consistent across all social media platforms you use. Choose high-quality images that are consistent with your brand for your profile and cover art photos. Many potential customers will check their social media search results before visiting your website, so it’s extremely important that all of your business details are filled in and up to date.
Stay Present and Active
Once your business is established on social media, you won’t see results if you don’t stay present and active. Following other brands and businesses shows that you are an active participant in the social space verses just promoting your own content. Pay close attention to any mentions, tags, or comments from others and have an appropriate system for monitoring notifications. Timeliness is very important, especially when it comes to customer service. You don’t want to miss a chance to interact with your audience, no matter what the comment might be.
Create A Content Calendar
Now that your profiles are set up and ready to go, it’s time to think through how your business will show up in this space. Once you have established your brand’s voice and thought through your goals for your social media strategy, it’s important to create a content calendar that can help you navigate what content you are going to post and the most optimal time to do it. If you are managing multiple profiles, investing in social media management software can help you automate some of the tedious aspects of your social presence without having to continually post in real time. Take some time out each month to monitor your growth and see what’s working and what changes you should make in order to guarantee your numbers keep trending upward.
We hope these basic tips have been a helpful tool in understanding the importance of a strong social media presence. Social media is a powerful tool, and it takes a lot of experience to create a social media campaign that highlights the best features of your business that also drives website and foot traffic. If you feel like it’s time to take the leap into social media, our team is ready to help! Give us a call today.
