For a small business looking to strike it big online, building a big following on social media sounds like a dream. The more people looking at your content, the further it’s going to spread and the more people you’ll have a chance to convert. That’s how it works, right?
Not always. A big following is worth nothing if the people following you don't actually engage with your content. It’ll just be a number on a screen, and while that looks impressive on the surface, you'll get little to nothing out of them in the long run. All that work will result in little to no ROI in the end.
Now an interested audience, that’s the real goal. Real engagement showcases this and that’s the thing you want to encourage. After all, active, interested engagement means they’re more likely to like and comment on your posts (surface level), and click through to your website and actually buy what you’re selling (what you really want here).
Let’s make sure you can turn a profit off of the work you do on social media. Different engagement methods work for different platforms, and we’ve got a great post here about getting more interactions on Instagram, but the same set of rules can be applied no matter where you’re posting.
People love having a question posed to them. They love having the chance to put their own thoughts and opinions across. And in the land of social media, unsolicited opinions are rife and everywhere you look! So, why not give people a real reason to let their thoughts flow, and ask them a question with every post you put out?
When you do, you might notice a slow start with maybe one or two comments coming through. But the more you pose questions, and the more you learn to tune these questions to the following you’ve built, the more answers you’re going to get. At the same time, you’ll notice that the views the post is getting, as well as the number of likes on it, have climbed up as well.
You can depend on all of these metrics shifting in tandem, as people aren’t shy about letting content creators know what’s working and what isn’t. Plus, the more engagement a specific post gets, the more likely it is that the algorithm is going to notice it. This then leads to even more views and likes and comments, and thus the cycle goes on and on. And all because you gave your followers something interesting to do.
Understand Your Follower’s Emotions
Emotional marketing is a subset of its own, but emotions leak into every kind of marketing you could put out. If you’re not relating to a person’s emotions when it comes to displaying your product or service’s worth, it’s going to be quite hard to convince anyone to buy it.
That’s why you should understand the feelings behind the reason someone followed you. Is it because they are looking for more entertainment in their life? Is it because they need to bridge the gap about a frustration they have to deal with? What’s going on in someone’s head when they decide to follow you?
Work this out and you’ll be able to make plenty of engagement driving content that appeals to those already interested in seeing it. Emotions are likely to differ from follower to follower, but understanding the most common threads will ensure you’re putting out posts that tug on the heartstrings in one way or another.
Don’t Limit Activity to Your Own Page
Creating social media posts is only half of the equation. When you’re on social media, you need to be social as well! That means actively promoting other pages, including content from users that have tagged you and being active in comment sections where there’s an overlap between audiences.
Reddit is a great social media platform for the latter. Get yourself some reddit accounts, join some subreddits in niches your business can cross over into, and then be active in the comments of posts that relate to what you sell or do.
You’re not here strictly to promote your product or service, but as an authority in the industry (as you’re a business owner operating in it), you could have just the answers someone is looking for. So, share the knowledge and the vibe, and see if you get a few upvotes and replies to the comment you’ve left. If you do, you’ll know what you’ve said is engaging enough to draw people in.
And the more you do this, the more active you are off of your own page and in these communities, the easier it’ll be to draw a following around your expertise. People will come to you because they know you really are that authority we mentioned earlier, which is the basis of ensuring engagement. They’re here to see what else you have to say and/or offer, and they’ll have a level of investment that means they’re sure to drop a like and a comment.
Be Reliable
For our last point, make sure you’re a reliable poster. Get some content out on a regular basis, even if that’s not every day. Once a week perhaps, or two to three times a month. Whatever the schedule turns out to be, make sure it’s consistent. You want people to know there’ll always be something new and interesting to see from you.
Social Media Engagement: What to Remember
If social media followers engage with your content, you’ve hit the jackpot. You don’t need every single person that’s hit follow to like and comment, but you do need to see a good portion of them doing this every time you put something out.
That way you can be sure the content you’re sharing is what they're looking for. And while the numbers will always vary, you’ll have some guarantee that the product/service you’re promoting will be added to cart time and time again.
Gone are the days when printed flyers and posters were sufficient to get the attention of potential clients or customers. Nowadays, a strong social media presence is practically a lifesaver for your business, as millions of people log into their social media accounts every single day. Fortunately, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow enterprises to connect with a global market, use digital tools for advertisement, and interact with consumers. It is important to note that your company will not automatically pull in your target market by simply creating an account. You will need to improve your social media skills and marketing. Here are three tips that will aid in building a better presence on social media platforms.
Understanding your audience is not just a key; it's a powerful tool to wield for a successful social media presence. Merely putting your content out there and hoping for the best is not a smart strategy. By identifying your target market and creating content that resonates with them, you can save time, get results, and avoid wasting money on unnecessary campaigns. Paying close attention to their preferences and behaviors is the first step toward building a better social media presence. Who follows you and engages or shares your content? Look for the common characteristics they share. It could be age, location, or interests. Certain social media platforms provide this information when you have a business account. Consider keeping up with social conversations so you can figure out their desire and pain points. You can also listen to what they are saying about your brand so you can serve them better.
Promote your account
New business accounts pop up daily. To get noticed, you will need to be proactive by sharing your account with potential clients and promoting it on your other platforms. For instance, you can cross-post your IG content to other platforms like Facebook for quick and efficient advertising. Whether you are a big or small business, hashtags in your industry are extremely important. They can be used to encourage your audience to share or promote your posts, and they make your content searchable by tag-followers, which enhances your reach. If you are posting a collaboration with another brand or putting up a video of a happy customer, remember to tag them so their followers can notice you. While these tactics may seem simple, adding social media management to your tasks can be stressful. If this is your dilemma, consider visiting sites like https://tessa.tech/virginia-seo/virginia-seo-services/ to connect with credible SEO specialists.
Content is everything in the social media space. The feeds are filled with creative content every minute, and it is crucial to focus on eye-catching visual content so you can grab the attention of your audience. Ditch the stock photos and opt for powerful images your market can connect with. Double down on client photos and personalize your company by taking your followers behind the scenes. Have fun with the latest trends by incorporating them into your product or service videos.
Social media has become a potent marketing tool that has helped many companies launch and make huge profits. With these tips, you can also increase your presence and help your business succeed.
While you may love to post pictures of your personal life and your vacations on your social media, the way that you conduct yourself on social media in private is going to be very different to the way in which you conduct yourself in social media in public. For example, the way that you act online can impact the job if you're not careful. There is a blur between personal and professional life when it comes to social media.
Anything you can and do say online stays there forever even if you delete it. Social media can be excellent but it can be full of pitfalls, so if you do say something online that could lead to a lawsuit, you're going to need a social media expert witness to back you up. Your activity including stealthy likes can come back to haunt you and the one thing that people are surprised to learn is that an employer can not only see your LinkedIn profile but they can see every single post that you've commented on or liked or shared. You have to be so cautious in what you react to because those around you can see it. So, with this in mind, here are some of the do’s and don'ts that you should consider when you are navigating social media in a professional manner.
Do be respectful of others. It's so easy to slip into a social media argument. You might have strong opinions about something and other people will have strong opinions about something and if you voice them online your boss could see it. Attacking other people online is not a good idea so you should start using your best judgment about your own posts as well as what you comment. You need to make sure that you are an adult which means being mature.
Don't post about politics. A heated conversation often comes up from politics, but one thing that you will find is that your politics may not align with your employer. If you follow on the ladder in a professional sense, then there's every chance that you will have very different political views to your boss who will be running a business and looking for those tax cuts that may come to his political party but not yours. You need to ensure that you're not taking any controversial stances where possible, especially not in public on social media.
Do have a LinkedIn. Having a presence on LinkedIn is going to help you in your quest for a new job. If you want to be noticed professionally online for a good reason then you need to have a LinkedIn account. The content should be grammatically correct and spelled correctly as well and that you should ensure all jobs and titles are as accurate as possible, to. It's an important tool for networking and professional brand building, so make sure that you have a complete profile.
Don't over share. Your personal information on social media can be shared at any point and oversharing is going to land you in hot water. If you have too much going on on your social media then it's time to take a step back and see if you can minimize how much time you spend on it.
Social media marketing offers a raft of benefits for businesses across all sectors, but success is never guaranteed. If you’re looking to utilize social platforms to put your brand on the map or drive sales, here are some tips to get the best out of social media for your business.
The first place to start when embarking upon a mission to launch an effective social media strategy is to define an ideal buyer/follower. Decide who you want to sell to and get to know your target customer. Conduct market research, ask questions via polls and interactive surveys and analyze data related to app use, traffic and interactions. Once you have defined your ideal customer, use the findings of market research and data analysis to establish the best channels. Some social media apps are much more popular among certain demographics, for example.
Show off the human side of your brand
Many businesses will set up social accounts and profiles with a primary objective to sell products and promote services. Social media is a brilliant platform for advertising products and services, but perhaps the most significant benefit for businesses is the opportunity to show off the human side of the brand. Tell your backstory, share your core values, provide information about your company culture and ethos and let your followers get to know your team.
Build a following
Social media offers businesses, community groups and organizations the chance to build an online following and bring people together. There are several ways to attract new followers, raise brand awareness and get people talking about your business via social media. To boost numbers and encourage your followers, customers or members to share content, it’s an excellent idea to run promotions, competitions and giveaways and incentivize referrals, recommendations, leaving reviews and sharing posts.
Once you have a following, you can develop the community further. To build relationships and create a bigger network, for example, you could move your Facebook Group to your own app or set up a new profile linked to your brand for followers to engage with each other. Communicating with customers and followers can help you establish long-lasting ties, which will enhance client loyalty and help you gain positive reviews.
Make your brand stand out
Social media platforms provide businesses with a stage to set their brands apart and make them stand out. To catch eyes, turn heads and attract shares, likes and comments, create original content, engage with followers, encourage them to share ideas and feedback, involve followers in content creation and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. The average person spends around 145 minutes per day on social media. Web users consume a huge amount of content. You want your posts to stand out when people scroll.
Social media is not just a channel for creating leads and generating sales. Businesses can benefit from unparalleled opportunities to engage with customers, build a following and distinguish their brand from others. If you’re looking to get more from your social media marketing campaigns, or you’re launching a startup, take these tips on board to achieve amazing results.
Social media marketing is the best thing you can do for your startup or if you do not have a huge budget for marketing. The key as to why social media is so great is because it is free. 100% cost free. If you have the right people on your team, they will be able to use it for all it is worth and you can easily see an increase in business. Here’s how to do it.
User Generated Content
User generated content or UGC is a digital marketing strategy where others do the work for you. For example, if a user loves your product and wants to share it on their socials, and they tag you in it, then you can just turn around, take that content, and post it on your site.
User generated content motivates 79% of people to buy that product, so the more people that share your product the better for you.
Interact With Your Customers
When you make social media posts where you can interact with your customer base, the more they are going to want to visit your page and see what you’re selling. People’s phones are the biggest distraction they have. People check them during commercial breaks, when they are waiting for someone or something, and when they don’t want to sit idle.
If a potential customer or existing customers can spend that time interacting with you through games, quizzes, or questions, you can quickly gain more followers and drive more traffic to your site.
Go Global
With the proper hashtags and the proper connections, you can start to spread your ideas and your products across the world map. An easy way to do this is to partner with influencers who can help promote your product. Influencers can have millions of followers, and those followers can be anywhere in the world, and a lot of times, they are located everywhere in the world.
An influencer can introduce your product to millions of people at once, and that is low cost advertising. Influencers can convince a large number of people to buy something with one really great post on their account’s story or feed. You are reaching a whole new audience within a matter of minutes.
Create Great, Relevant Content
Do your own creating. So far, we have seen how others can give you a leg up on social media, but what about what you are creating. Funny videos, product videos, and behind the scenes videos all make for great content. People like to see how things are made, who works for your company, and what you are doing in your life.
A sneak peek into your world makes you more approachable and more trustworthy, and when people feel as if they know you, they are more likely to be loyal and buy from you. Opening the door just enough for people to see in will benefit you a lot in the long run, and again, a lot of this is free.
Influencers are in great demand in today's scenario. Brands are paying a hefty amount to influencers to enhance their brand awareness. Many influencers have a vast fanbase on par with the movie stars. Hence, brands are leveraging these influencers to maximize their brand reach, which eventually elevates their reach. In this article, we are about to show you some of the social commerce sites that have grabbed the influencer's attention. If you are a person aspiring to become an influencer, then have a look at the social commerce sites that are given below. Influencers can also gain momentum on any social commerce platform by taking advantage of the paid services like Trollishly. Have a deep look into these sites and better understand them so that your path to grow into an influencer won't be much more complicated.
Instagram:
Instagram has grown into the powerhouse of social commerce. The platform cannot be neglected due to the way it has been contributing to social commerce. Instagram is a more compatible platform when compared to other platforms when it comes to shopping. A shopping icon can be added as part of the image. The icon denotes the product showcased in the picture that eventually drives to the page where a detailed description of the product along with its price will be provided. Despite being a social application, Instagram almost functions as an e-commerce application where brands can showcase their products and sell them. Instagram offers multiple ways for brands to promote their products. For instance, products can be promoted through the stories section by adding CTA to it, which will direct the visitor to the product page. If any of your product posts have gained more traction, Instagram will take it to the explore page, eventually elevating your brand reach to a vast extent. Thus, your product will become famous without having to spend even a single penny. Hence, Instagram is a compatible platform for brand promotions and to sell products online. Due to this, brands throng into this social application and join hands with the influencers.
Facebook:
Facebook is diverse and the one with the most number of users. There are billions of people surfing through this social application every day, with many new people entering this platform every day. Hence, it is a huge market place where brands could showcase their products to the customers. Taking advantage of its vast user base, Facebook is utilizing the platform for commercial purposes.
Facebook Marketplace is a massive opportunity for medium and small scale businesses. The section enables companies to sell their products to people. It allows the seller to provide comprehensive data about his product, such as its cost and specific features. Moreover, an icon has also been provided using which a customer can send a direct message to the buyer regarding product enquiries. This will help brands to sort out the customer queries instantly and drive them to purchase a product. Hence, Facebook is the platform that lets brands market their products to a vast audience without much hindrance. Considering the enormous user base and growing importance of social commerce, influencers have a growing reputation on this social platform. Many companies are aiming to make their brand popular through influencers on Facebook.
Lyst:
Today the social media industry is witnessing vast growth. Due to this, new social applications are being rolled out that focuses on a specific sector. Lyst is one such social application that is completely dedicated to fashion designers. For instance, if you are a fashion designer, you can showcase your works on this application. People who are intrigued by your posts will follow you. Hence, they can view all your future posts and interact with them. Moreover, people can also make purchases on this social application. Thus, this platform will be an apt one for the people who are into the fashion designing industry and looking to grow into influencers.
Houzz:
Houzz is also a social application that falls under a specific category. As the social application name resonates, this platform will have interior designers, architectures, and others in the construction field who will show their works. Hence, people who find their works to be interesting can follow them and can even get in touch with them if they want to renovate their homes and workplace. This platform also has a considerable number of influencers who are enjoying a significant follower base. Thus, this platform will give rise to new ideas to make alterations to your house and interior. Houzz is one of the social applications that is acclaimed very well and reached a large audience base.
Wanelo:
Wanelo is a social application where you will find a wide range of photo collections. For example, if you click any of the product photos that have been showcased on this application, it will direct you to the page where you can purchase them. Thus, this application is filled with product photos, and you can buy the one that matches your interest. This social platform has a considerable number of users and has a gradual rise in its user base consistently for a more extended period.
Final Thoughts:
Social e-commerce is expanding over time with the advent of new social applications. Alongside there has been growing importance for influencer marketing. Social commerce is anticipated to play a crucial role in the coming years, and a vast business is expected to take place through these platforms. Moreover, many people are thronging into this social application to grow into influencers. Many new social platforms are getting introduced and earn a rapid spike in their user base in recent times. Many of these social platforms have distinct landscapes providing a unique experience to the users. Thus, the influencer marketing industry is expected to expand further in the coming years. So, if you aim to become an influencer, you have to look at the various new social platforms that are introduced in recent times. Thus, you can gain considerable knowledge about the way social platforms are framed, which in turn will ease the pathway for you to grow into an influencer.
