Although you may have tried to implement some decent social media strategies in 2017, by the end of the year, you might’ve realized that things didn’t work out the way you’d planned. You know how the saying goes, “You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can’t predict the weather.” If last year’s social media strategy didn’t quite work out the way you’d planned, don’t lose hope. Here are our favorite four social media tips to make your business dreams a reality.
- Use your social media as a vehicle, not to relentlessly self-promote.
You must understand what a powerful tool social media is when it comes to building your business. Never before in history have brands had such unfettered access to their loyal customers at such low costs. Social media also allows followers to interact with their favorite companies and service providers to gain information and insight that will benefit them in some way.
Today’s social media followers are savvy enough to know when they are being “targeted” as possible conversions. Should you choose to use your social media platforms to fire a constant barrage of advertisements or marketing, those followers will quickly remove you from their lists. However, if you sprinkle just a few promotions here and there throughout your content delivery, your followers will be much more tolerant and willing to look past your advertisements.
In many instances, by not making your feed a constant stream of ads, your followers will actually be more inclined to click on your promotional content because the ads you do place are either very enticing or are associated with providing as much value as the rest of your content typically provides.
Experiment with the types content you post in the forms of videos, memes, status updates, and shared content from other sources to strike a balance. Once you’ve filled your feeds with content your followers are engaging with – in the form of likes, shares, and comments – a low-key and tasteful promotion here and there can efficiently re-direct them to your website where they can see all the products or services your brand offers. Once you get your social media followers to your business’s website, you can begin to convert them into potential customers by building your email list and adding those names to your sales funnel.
- Give high-quality information away for free.
There’s no better incentive to consumers than receiving something they perceive to be of value for free. So, give it to them. Often referred to as a “Lead Magnet,” this is one of the most potent ways of converting your social media followers into clientele. By using your social platforms to provide people with free introductory content from which they can glean valuable information, and then following that up by showing them where they can find even more of that useful information in the form of a link to your website or blog, you can increase your conversions exponentially. The free information you provide can be in the form of a tutorial video or downloadable PDF, but whichever format you choose, it must provide genuine value to achieve the most significant results.
- Branch out and expand your reach on different platforms.
Once you feel you’ve established solid followings on the two largest social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, you can cast a wider net to grow your audience by branching out on the next tier of platforms which include Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and Snapchat.
While they are all ultimately designed to accomplish the same thing, each platform has a different nuance that you must master. Content presentation that works with an audience on Facebook may not work as well on Instagram so discovering what forms work best for your particular business will require a bit of trial and error and fair amount of patience.
When attempting to grow your fan base, it’s best to add new social media platforms to your repertoire one at a time. In that way, you’re much less likely to feel overwhelmed and give up on your strategy.
- Join relevant niche-based social groups.
Particularly on Facebook and Google+, user groups can be prime real estate in finding potential customers and people to “follow” you. To find groups to join, utilize the platform’s search feature to look up relevant keywords followed by the word “group.” An example might be “social media management group.” Here are the results of my query when I typed that same phrase into Facebook’s search bar.
Once you find groups to join, request to join them. You may have to answer a few questions to be allowed to do so, but once you’re added to each group you can begin to contribute to ongoing group conversations.
Once again, you won’t be able to blatantly self-promote, but you will be able to provide a link or two every so often to redirect other group members to your website or blog. By presenting yourself and your business as a professional and knowledgeable subject matter expert in a particular niche, people will naturally be inclined to follow you.