The recent popularity of social media has changed the way people communicate, share information, and even do business. For some businesses, this change has been a blessing; for others, it’s been more like a curse. Either way, it’s important to harness the power of social media in your business marketing efforts.
Social media is an effective means of brand awareness and customer interaction, but getting creative with your approach can help you expand your reach even further. Read on for some tips that will get more customers liking, commenting, following, and visiting your site:
Share Useful Content
Many people use social networks to connect with others, and that means they’re looking for like-minded individuals. People also want interesting content that inspires discussion and offers insight into their lives. Sharing such content will create the kind of buzz you need to get your company in front of more eyes, which can translate into more customers.
Don’t just share links to your own content, either. Sharing blog posts from other industry leaders help others see your business as a reputable source of information and will help you build relationships with influencers who can send even more business your way.
Be Interactive
People appreciate being responded to, so take time out of every day to interact with people on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other social networks. You can also create a separate social media account to engage with your customers one-on-one where you can conveniently post links. With www.linkinbio.xyz, you can even add all social media links into one. This will help you build rapport and loyalty, which are crucial when it comes to customer retention.
Note that responding to questions in an engaging way shows people you’re human, not just another business trying to sell them things. Share posts that you find interesting, comment on posts by others in your industry and encourage customers to share their feedback with you.
Visualize Every Post
It’s often said that a picture is worth 1,000 words, so use that to your advantage when it comes to social media. People are more likely to read posts with photos attached than those without—and they’re more likely to comment on photos or share them with their own friends and followers if the post resonates with them.
A photo speaks a thousand words so take time each day to post photos that help you reach your target audience. You can also use this tactic on other social networks that allow for the posting of pictures.
Post at Optimal Times
Social media isn’t just about getting more customers—it’s about creating relationships with already existing customers. Find out when your customer base is most active on social media, and post accordingly. This shows customers that you’re committed to connecting with them regularly, which will make them more likely to visit your site.
For instance, if your target audience is located in the United States, people are more likely to use Twitter early in the morning and in the evenings, while people in an Asian country will be more active on that network around lunchtime.
Be Consistent
It’s important to have a social media presence, but it’s equally important to keep customers engaged by continuing your efforts over time. You don’t want your customers to get tired of seeing your posts, so make sure you schedule a specific time each day to post on all of your social media accounts.
Remember customers want to connect with businesses that actually care about them and show their appreciation for their business. Once you’ve got your social media accounts set up, plan out when you want to post on each one and stick with it. It’s not enough just to share content and photos; you need engagement and response to keep people coming back for more.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags are common on many social networks, and using them consistently will help you reach more people. Think of hashtags as keywords that can be used to discuss a certain topic. What benefit does this serve your business? It makes it easier for customers to find your posts—just type “#” in front of the topic you want to tag, and it will automatically be included in your post.
This has the added bonus of encouraging customers to use your hashtags so you reach more people; for instance, if you run a restaurant in Boston that serves Italian food then you might want to search Twitter for #BOSItalian or #BostonItalian and follow those trends. This way, people can follow those topics to see what’s going on in the Boston area and your posts will be included.
Just remember that this tactic works best if you use relevant hashtags, not made-up ones such as #ItalianFoodBoston just because it applies to your business. Customers want useful content, so make sure yours is tailored to them. Ask yourself what you would find interesting and include hashtags that go along with your topic so people can see it when they search for relevant keywords.
These tips will help expand your reach, but one of the most important aspects to remember is authenticity. Never post anything fake—if it doesn’t come from a genuine place then it’s not going to resonate with customers. People can tell when you’re only using social media as a platform for pushing your business goals, but if you take the time to interact with customers and create real connections then they are more likely to listen.
