Nearly 1.2 billion people have social media accounts. That’s more than two-thirds of active internet users. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is on social media. And since it’s not age-restricted, all demographics are well represented.
The golden rule for marketers is to “get people where they already are”. The fact that most people spend their time on social media makes it the ideal platform for user engagement. It gives you an opportunity to present your brand to your potential customer.
Whether it’s content marketing, social selling or customer care, social media can win your intended audience. If you get it right, you’ll convert them into actual buyers.
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With so many platforms for advertising and stiff competition, it can be hard to set your business apart and build a solid brand. However, there are tricks to this trade. Here are some strategies you can use to amplify your business online:
Create a Unique Voice: Everything you post on social media should reflect your brand’s personality. Your social media voice is the way your brand communicates on various platforms.
For example, under Armour’s social media voice is centered around its company culture. It created a voice that encourages performance to the highest level and innovation. It uses hashtags like #IWILL to portray its culture on social media. Your company shows what you stand for and what makes you special.
Be Consistent: Brand Channel says it took Nike 15 years to create a solid brand. It concentrated on ensuring its brand was consistent across all products, packaging, customer service, and advertising. The same case applies to social media, you have to be consistent on all platforms. Your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages should portray a unified theme. This way, your followers know what to expect.
Your content should also be composed of topics related to your industry.
A good example is the well-known career site, Monster.com. It tweets content ranging from career advice, employee satisfaction, and workplace culture. By focusing on content within its niche, Monster has become the go-to account for people looking for career-related information.
Tell a Compelling Story: Everyone loves a good story. Telling someone a story makes them interpret it to fit their own ideas and experience. The idea behind a brand can be more compelling by weaving a story around it.
If you involve a customer in your brand’s story, you’ll get more engagement. Toms, the shoe manufacturer shares pictures of the people it helps. This way, potential customers are aware of the contribution they could be making when they buy shoes from Toms.
Be Social – Engage, Engage, Engage! It’s called social media for a reason. You need to engage with your customers like a normal human being. User humour. When your followers tweet at you, return the gesture. If there are questions about your product, answer them. In case of any complaints, address them. The more you engage, the more engaged your customers will be.
Make Use of Influencers: Influencers have massive loyal followings. Their posts get a lot of engagement. It’s possible to get such engagement if you collaborate with influencers as part of your branding strategy. The best influencers have a solid engagement rate and align with your brand. You should also encourage the influencers to give honest reviews of your products.
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Choose the Right Platform for Your Business: Sometimes you may do everything right and still not get any traffic. You should not settle till you find the one that works best for you. It should align with your brand image and goals. If you don’t do this, you’ll struggle to create awareness for your brand.
For example, Instagram is the best platform for businesses in the fashion and wearables niche. If a company manufactures steel, a platform like Tumbler won’t work for it. Considering that it’s demographic is composed of teens and young adults.
It doesn’t matter what kind of business you’re in. Customers buy a brand that appeals to them. Your brand’s personality creates a relationship between you and the customer.
