How Ways to Establish a Solid Social Media Strategy.
Posting to Facebook or Instagram on behalf of your company is one of the most surefire (and cheapest) ways to generate awareness of and interest in your business — and, if you do it right, convert followers to customers. More formally known as social media marketing, posting strategically on social media platforms and websites is hugely important for your business’ marketing efforts (even if you don’t love the idea of social media personally).
Rather than the shouty, one-way direct advertisements of years past (think commercials, newspaper ads, and subway posters), social media creates a two-way street for companies and their customers to have a dialog — kind of like when a customer would drop into a store for a chat because they felt a certain connectionor loyalty to the place. Facebook and Instagram give businesses a virtual way to have conversations, build trust, and keep the business top of mind.
But there’s one trick to successful social media marketing, and that’s to do it well. Here are 5 ways to enhance — or get started — spreading the word about your business on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms.
INCLUDE HASHTAGS
Hashtags are used on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as a way to quickly find other (hashtagged) posts connected to a specific topic or theme. Using a few key hashtags in each post “files” your post under the specific categories, which encourages people to discover your content when they’re browsing or following the hashtag. This means people from a wider range than your usual customer base can “stumble upon” your company and increase its reach to a potentially global audience.
INCORPORATE CLICKABLE LINKS
Clicking on hyperlinks (a URL linked in the text) brings the user over to a new webpage, and adding these into your social media posts is an easy way to get customers right over to your business’s website. Used judiciously, hyperlinks also boost engagement, expand your reach, improve search engine optimization (SEO), and enhance your brand’s marketing efforts.
POST AT OPTIMAL TIMES
When you post something on social media, timing is key — the more people that are potentially checking social media, the more likes, shares, retweets, and follows you’re likely to get, which are all drivers of “engagement” for your posts. Plus, if you’re throwing in some links to shop your website on the posts, there’s also the chance to enhance website traffic (and potentially actual purchases) with a well-timed post. Post at midnight, and chances are no one will see it until the next day — and by then your post has already been replaced by fresher ones in the algorithm.
USE ON-BRAND, ORIGINAL CONTENT
Using on-brand and original content is really important when it comes to social media marketing. Developing original content shows that your brand is authentic, trustworthy, and that you are a leader in your brand’s specific niche — and keeping it on-brand (a.k.a. in line with the tone and values of your company) reinforces that trust by keeping your brand’s identity consistent. High-quality original content can also help improve your page’s search rankings and search engine optimization (it can sometimes even go viral, exploding your brand awareness — in a good way). Plus, if readers like it, they’ll want to go to your website to find out more (so make sure your copy is engaging, entertaining, and informative there, too).
BE CONSISTENT AND OBSERVANT
Being consistent and observant on social media is essential to a successful marketing strategy.
Consistency allows you to present your brand as trustworthy, credible, and dependable — someone to rely on, in your customers’ view. You can make real connections with people who comment on your posts or DM you. Additionally, consistency in terms of what and how you post ensures that your brand is as recognizable on Facebook as it is on Twitter (identical profile pictures also help). This in tandem with original content ensures a unified experience for both existing and potential customers.
Keeping a keen eye on what’s going on on the socials outside your own feed is also critical: Not only does it help you gauge what your customers like and don’t like, but there could be news items and social media trends that are a perfect “fit” for your brand to have fun with (or, in worst case scenarios, they can be a good signal to stop posting). Best case? You post the perfect tweet in response to a larger news item, and suddenly thousands have heard of you — and are already adding your product to their carts.
Ultimately, whether you are selling a product, service, or getting the word out about your organization, having a solid social media strategy is key in leveraging your potential. We understand that coming up with a strategy and maintaining it can be a full time job. That being said, if you are looking to ramp up your social media marketing efforts in 2023, we encourage you to consider the benefits a marketing agency can have on your business!
