Let’s face it, social media is taking over the digital world. Whether you’re looking to flaunt your beach vacation, sell a product or create a brand, social media is an effective way to do it. It’s essential for increasing your brand’s following and can create a sense of reliability as well as make a brand more approachable.
At this point in the 21st century, most businesses have a social media presence, however, not all businesses are using it to their advantage. There are numerous platforms and each one may cater to a different audience and carry its own unique tone. Having a well-developed strategy is crucial to ensure you’re getting the most out of the platforms your brand is using.
Now, let’s dive deeper into the top 4 social media platforms.
Important Instagram Information
Ah yes, Instagram. Home to influencer marketing, Kardashian vacation photos and the iconic 9 grid profile layout. Instagram is all about looks—and we aren’t talking about selfies. Instagram’s data found that 90% of users follow a business and want to see entertaining and creative content. It’s a visual platform, meaning your business needs to focus on high-quality photos and videos that are engaging and aesthetically pleasing.
One way to increase relatability for your brand is by showing what goes on behind the scenes—key word is ‘showing.’ What do your products look like? What does your business’s day-to-day activities look like? Instagram offers many visual features, such as regular posting, Reels, IGTV and stories, allowing you multiple outlets for strategic content creation.
Don’t forget about influencer marketing! Not everyone can afford Kylie Jenner, but micro-influencers are great for small-scale brands and businesses because they often have a niche audience. According to a 2019 Big Commerce survey, 89% of marketers say their return on investment from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels.
Social media strategy can be daunting, but don’t let that scare you away from a large brand following. Platforms like HubSpot, Hootsuite and Agorapulse can help with scheduling, engagement analytics and posting.
Twitter Tips
Twitter may not be the first platform you think of when it comes to business, but it’s rapidly growing in popularity. Twitter is notorious for humor, and some businesses are utilizing that in their social media strategy. Have you scrolled through Wendy’s Twitter? They have a strong presence because of their funny content and regular engagement with their followers.
According to Oberlo, the brand-customer relationship has strayed from the uni-directional realm and instead is creating conversation between brands and their followers.
You don’t need to write funny content every day to be a Twitter pro. Twitter’s retweet feature serves a great purpose—you can keep up your account’s activity without needing to develop new subject matter every day. Follow other accounts that are relevant to your industry and show them some love.
Looking for even more follower engagement? Check out Twitter’s poll feature. Not only are they fun, but they encourage engagement and welcome quick, valuable feedback. By understanding how to best utilize Twitter, your business can increase brand recognition and generate more leads.
Facebook FYIs
Hootsuite reports Facebook as having an advertising audience of 2.14 billion… that’s almost 30% of the world population. This large number of users sounds like a great idea at first, but we want to reach our target audience, right? Thankfully, through Facebook, you can curate your advertisements to be aimed at a specific audience, narrowed down by their interests as well as demographics like age, gender and location.
According to Facebook for Business, 75% of Facebook users visit a local business page at least once a week. How can your business become one of these pages? Choose a profile picture that is recognizable to your brand—perhaps your logo. Use a cover photo that shows off your most popular product or service. Like Instagram, Facebook can be a visual platform as well, so capture the attention of your audience by posting eye-catching imagery or graphics, and don’t forget to add in external links when needed—this is a great way to direct readers to your website or blog.
A Lesson on LinkedIn
Looking for an audience of professionals, experts and other businesses? LinkedIn is the platform for you. In fact, LinkedIn For Business found that 80% of B2B (business to business) leads come from LinkedIn—you may find your next client here!
Unlike visual platforms like Instagram and platforms with character-limits like Twitter, LinkedIn is more apt for long-form content. Take the time to tell a story, go more in-depth on a product or explain a new project your team is working on—and don’t forget to link the post to your website. Because of their large community of professionals, LinkedIn is a clever way to network with other businesses and leaders in your industry.
If you’re posting relatable content, consider investing in LinkedIn’s advertising services. This is a helpful way to target specific types of users by narrowing down your audience. It may also increase the likelihood for a lead.
No matter what strategies you develop along the way, there’s one tidbit you need to remember: stay authenticin your social media presence. Authenticity is the number one way to ensure that your brand is putting its best foot forward. Now that you have this scope of knowledge, get to strategizing!
If you’re interested in learning more about promoting your brand, check out our blog on paid vs. organic search marketing.
