By the end of 2021, it’s predicted that there will be over 3 billion active users on social media.
That’s a whole lot of likes, shares, and follows to go around, and if you’re looking to absorb some of the love, let this Valentine’s Day mark the beginning of a new relationship with your social media page.
After all, social media is at the heart of brand engagement, and it often serves as the initial point of contact between companies and consumers. In fact, 54% of customers use social media to research products nowadays, and 37% of consumers are likely to visit or follow a brand’s social media page.
Even if your audience is small and localized, there’s still a lot to gain by having a healthy and thriving social media presence. In this article, we’ll explore some simple and surefire practices to help you spread the love and grow your social media presence. Let’s get started!
Set Goals & Know Your Audience
While it may seem best to try to target “everyone” and gain as many social media followers as possible, narrowing down your focus is key to converting your efforts into real results.
What’s your main objective of having a social media presence? Are you trying to promote a new product, generate more web traffic, produce more sales leads, or all of the above?
Have an idea of who your ideal customer is: Where do they spend time online? Which social media platforms are they most active on?
Depending on your audience, you may only need one active social media page on Facebook or a healthy presence across the board on other popular platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Focusing on your target audience will ensure your content is published in the right places. If your ideal customer likes your social media content, they’ll be more likely to follow you, visit your website, browse your products, or seek out your services.
Create Helpful & Engaging Content
When it comes to gaining more followers and funneling your social media traffic to your website, it’s all about the content.
Knowing your audience will help you understand what types of content to create. Do they like and share humorous content, memes, videos, infographics, or news articles? Once you know the types of content you should be creating, it’s time to start brainstorming ideas.
What types of information are most useful to your audience? A good place to start is by addressing common questions asked in your industry.
Provide helpful answers and information so you can serve as an authoritative resource to your audience. Create a variety of content in the form of videos, text, or whatever is most popular among your audience. This is an opportunity to develop your brand, so don’t be afraid to show off some of your personality.
When in doubt, piggyback off what’s trending. If a hashtag is gaining traction in your industry, create content around it. Have fun, be humorous, and show who you are by posting staff photos and showing your audience what’s going on behind-the-scenes.
You’ll also want to plan out your social media content strategically so you’re hitting your goals and targets throughout the year. New products, services, deals, holidays, or upcoming events are opportunities to promote yourself on social media. If you manage a blog through your website, you can also promote it on your social media pages.
Stay Active & Build Relationships
When you’re first starting on social media, it can feel daunting trying to gain followers. Focus on staying active, consistent, and publishing content regularly. It may be time-consuming, but showing that you put the time into your social media can reflect positively on your brand as a whole.
Make it easy for your website viewers to find your social media pages. Create buttons that lead them to your Instagram or Facebook pages. By the same token, include your business name, location, contact information, and website address on your social media pages.
As your followers grow, start engaging with them. Anytime someone comments on your content, reply, answer their questions, or thank them for the feedback. Follow back, like, and share their content, and engage with your audience the same way you want them to engage with you.
Share the Love This Valentine’s Day
While your Valentine’s Day may be filled with chocolate, hearts, flowers, and red and pink galore, take a moment to show appreciation for your fans, followers, and customers. If you’re ready to deepen your relationship with social media, let us help you develop your presence and yield results you’ll love.
Learn more about our social media marketing services or contact us today to get started!