When used correctly, social media has the ability to grow your business exponentially. Here are 5 simple ways your business can take its social media growth to the next level.
Stay Up To Date On Which Social Media Sites Are Current
Social media is here to stay, but the specific sites that will best grow your business may change over the months or years. For example, the social media site Myspace was one of the first to gain a huge following, but as social media continued to grow, Myspace did not. So while ten years ago Myspace would have been an excellent site to engage with your clients, it has since seen a huge drop-off in users. Currently, the “big 3” that seem to be here for the long haul are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Each site engages users in different ways, which gives your company multiple opportunities to grow an audience. Staying up to date on which sites are current in today’s social media climate is an easy way to make sure you are taking advantage of every opportunity when building your brand. It can also save you from wasting valuable time on social media sites that are no longer reaching your customer base. Also, watch out for up-and-coming platforms like Snapchat, which is experiencing rapid growth.
Post Engaging Content That Appeals To Your Audience
There are plenty of companies that are doing social media correctly, but there are even more that are failing to engage their audience and potential clients. Businesses fail at this by either posting content that does not appeal to their target audience, or by not posting content at all. It’s important that your clients know their interests and opinions matter to you. If your business cannot engage its target audience, it will be much harder to grow that audience. The better you know your clients, the easier it will be to post content that interests them. A simple way to do this is by asking your customers for feedback. This can be done by posting fun polls on your social media pages, or even by simply asking them what they would like to see more of on your company’s social media accounts. And when they do give feedback, be sure to take their suggestions into consideration and let them know you appreciate their participation. If followers feel heard, they are more likely to continue giving their input in ways that could greatly boost your impact on social media.
Update Your Social Media Profiles On A Regular Basis
One of the fastest ways to lose an audience on social media is by failing to update your social media pages on a regular basis. A profile without regular updates is a stale, outdated profile. When you allow one of your social media profiles to become stale, not only do you quickly lose your audience, it also sends the message that your company is not attentive or consistent. This message could discourage potential clients from wanting to do business with you. While every post does not have to contain a significant amount of content, it should still be engaging and create further interest in your company.
Use Your Social Media Profile As A Networking Tool
It’s common knowledge that networking is critical to the growth of any business. Networking through social media is a great way to further your company’s reach in the marketplace. It takes very little time and still has the potential to grow your social media audience and your business as a whole. The easiest way to do this is by following other businesses and fellow entrepreneurs on all of your social media sites. The right online connection could bring your business new opportunities that it may have otherwise never been offered. Some examples of this would be business partnerships, valuable referrals, or access to a customer base that your company wasn’t able to reach through traditional networking.
Spend The Majority Of Your Time On Social Media Being Social
This tip may seem far too obvious, but you would be shocked at how many companies are not being social on social media! Whether it’s commenting on one of your follower’s posts, thanking them for a reply to one of your posts, congratulating them on personal success, promptly responding to direct messages and complaints, or even just “liking” a comment or post; talking to your customers on a regular basis through social media is vital. Your brand is important, but your brand should never come before your customers. Social media is about creating relationships and connections that can further your audience. Being social with your followers in a professional, but still warm and inviting way can open a lot of doors for your company. The reviews and responses you receive on your social media pages, and how you handle them, could be the first impression your business makes on a potential client. Making sure that first impression is one that draws the person in and makes them want to find out more about your company is essential to growing your audience on social media.