A strong social media presence can help your business stand out above the crowd
Social media is essential to the success of many modern businesses. Consumers expect the businesses they choose to have a solid digital presence and social media has proven itself to be an intrinsic tool for businesses looking to form closer bonds with their customer base.
Even for those organisations that rely on referrals, face-to-face networking, sales calls or print marketing activities, there’s no doubt that potential customers increasingly vet companies by searching for them online and looking to see if their digital footprint does them justice.
But navigating the tumultuous waters of social media can feel like a daunting task, especially because the technology, culture and expectations involved are constantly evolving. Luckily, we’re here to help. Here are seven ways to spruce up your business’s social media strategy.
Focus on the right platforms
There’s a seemingly endless list social media platforms out there right now. And the number is growing. From Instagram and TikTok to Facebook and LinkedIn, every platform comes with its own perks and drawbacks. So, it’s important to assess which one is best suited to your brand and customer base. If you’re trying to appeal to a younger audience, fun TikTok videos may suit your company best. Meanwhile, B2B organisations would do well to set themselves up on LinkedIn.
As a starting point, why not audit your competitors and see which platforms they are utilising. But also try to make time to find one of the many social media overview reports to help you understand each platform’s demographic, tools and benefits.
Stay up to date with trending topics
The internet moves at a mile a minute, and so does social media. By its very nature, social media is a reactionary beast, with more and more people flocking to their chosen platforms as their primary source of news and information. In order for your brand to stay relevant, engage with the community and reach new audience members, it’s important to be aware of the big conversations happening online right now.
Invest in video content
Video content has blown up in recent years, most notably on TikTok but also with Instagram Reels, Twitter Fleets and YouTube Shorts. Adding video content to your social media strategy can help you boost your engagement and get your organisation noticed. Whether you’re showing off your products, giving a peek behind the scenes of your company or simply making a slideshow of your photo content, introducing video content into your rotation will help to push your brand out to the masses.
Embrace e-commerce
More and more people are doing their shopping online, particularly after the physical restrictions that were put in place throughout much of 2020 and 2021. E-commerce has become a huge part of online culture, with social media giants like Instagram introducing a shopping section within their application.
Businesses can take advantage of this by seamlessly connecting their social media profiles to their online stores.
For those companies trading B2C, it should be a no-brainer to give your users an easy journey from browsing to buying by tagging shopping links onto your product posts.
Don’t be afraid to collaborate
Social media shouldn’t be an isolating experience. It’s all about connection, and this is true for businesses looking to expand their horizons. Your competitors can become your allies by collaborating with you on engaging posts. You can also reach out to influencers and offer to send free products/samples to them in exchange for them sharing their brand experience online.
Show off your personality
People want to feel like they’re talking to an actual human being, rather than a brand. This is the advantage that small businesses have over the likes of Amazon, so be sure to milk the human aspect of your business by introducing yourself to your followers and creating real, human-to-human connections.
Don’t take yourself too seriously
Memes are the universal language of social media, so don’t be afraid to pepper a bit of humour into your content rotation. Brands like Duolingo and Wendy’s have done a fantastic job of creating dedicated online followings by sharing funny content and witty replies. This can endear shoppers to you and help your brand stick in their minds.
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