5 Things You Can Do To Boost Social Media Presence
A guest blog by Elaine Bennett
In a social-media-driven world, where everyone and their grandparents have a social media account, there is really no viable excuse for your business not to be present in the SM arena as well. After all, some three billion people use some form of social media on a daily basis, it only stands to reason that you should try to tap into this wealthy pool of opportunities – you can bet that your competitors are doing the same.
But you need to be better than they are. With that in mind, here are five things you could be doing to boost social media presence, reach new audiences and transform them into paying customers.
Developing a personality people will love
The days of faceless corporations with cheesy slogans are long gone. Nowadays, customers expect brands to have a personality, a unique tone of voice, and an aesthetic presentation that is relatable and portrays the right values to the public. Needless to say, your brand cannot afford to be just another face in the crowd – it needs to stand out.
Uniqueness is the key to brand recognition in the online universe, which means that you need to build a brand personality audiences can connect with on a profound, emotional level. Only by striking an emotional chord with your demographic can you hope to transform them into loyal brand followers.
Building SMART goals for your SM strategy
The concept of SMART goals has been around for decades, used by managers from every department to keep the cogwheels turning and keep the higher-ups happy. Now, you can use the SMART concept to optimize your social media strategy and take it to new heights.
Succinctly, in order for your SM presence to thrive, your goals need to be:
- Specific – what is the goal, specifically?
- Measurable – how do you measure effectiveness?
- Achievable – the goals need to be realistic.
- Relevant – creating a positive impact internally and externally
- Timely – setting a realistic timetable.
SMART goals will allow you to build a comprehensive, realistic social media strategy. However, setting these goals will require constant feedback and social media monitoring.
Gather relevant insights to boost your SM game
Knowledge is power. The more you know about your audience, as well as your brand’s performance in the online realm, the better the chances of your marketing team crafting a winning SM strategy and improving upon past results.
Strategies such as media monitoring have become an integral part of every brand’s social media strategy, as it provides you with the relevant insights your company needs in order to eliminate any guesswork from the equation. Also, it is important to consider where your audience comes from. For instance, if they’re based mostly in New Zealand, you should use a media monitoring platform or a media portal from New Zealand to collect this data. This real time information will help you safely plan for the future and mitigate any risk, allowing your brand to gain the traction and recognition it deserves.
Post engaging, quality content across the board
In the online world, content will always be king. No matter how much money you pour into advertising or sponsorship deals, nothing will be able to save your brand’s reputation from the backlash that inevitably follows a poorly-written blog post.
This is why complementing your posting schedule with stellar content across all social media channels will be essential in portraying your brand in the best possible light. What’s more, if you want to take your game to the next level, be sure to diversify your content pool by introducing various blog content, images, infographics, videos, podcasts, and more.
Be consistent and drive innovation
Finally, a silent social media feed is soon to become a barren one in terms of followers. There is no better way to lose your audience and push them into the loving embrace of your competition than to post seldom or irregularly, so make sure you have a tight schedule in place, jam-packed with engaging stories and visuals.
Moreover, you also want to retain a hefty dose of spontaneity, and keep your followers coming back to your page, by being innovative, always offering something new and exciting for your audience to experience. Remember, only by staying on top of the latest trends and changing with the tide can you hope to stay afloat and surpass the competition.
The race for social media dominance is a never-ending one, especially if you consider that the number of social media users is only expected to rise in the years to come. With that in mind, now is the time to implement these solutions into your SM strategy and pave the road to long-term recognition in the SM universe.
Elaine Bennett is a regular contributor at Bizzmark Blog.
She’s a marketing specialist, focused on branding, social media marketing and small businesses.
She’s also a tech enthusiast and a video games lover.