Social media is a powerful way to connect with your loyal customers and prospective clients alike, but only if you are using it to its fullest potential. There are some ways that you can use social media to start drawing attention to your brand that you might not even be aware that will work for you and your business. Check out these top 10 ways to build connections on social media to leverage your online presence.
1. Posting Everywhere
One of the mistakes that you may be making with your social media efforts is only posting on one social media channel. Your target audience is probably using their favorite social media platforms, so you may want to explore using other platforms yourself. For instance, if your items are very visual, Pinterest and Instagram may be opportunities that you are missing out on for your company. Explore other platforms and find what works best for your company.
2. Creating Original Content
Some of these other tips may be relatively easy to do, and you may think that creating your own content takes too long, but if you are already blogging, you could be sharing this content. The key to remember when making content for social media is that it should be current, high-quality and shareable. These three traits in the content you are sharing on your social media sites will help to boost your social media connections while setting your company up as a knowledgeable expert on the subject.
3. Sharing Content
Sharing content that other users have created can be just as powerful as creating your own content. You can share funny pictures or related news to your social media followers. You can even share content that users have shared with your company, such as their reviews or pictures of family members visiting your company.
4. Commenting
Taking time to comment on other articles and blogs can be a great way to get people interested in what you have to say, and by extension, what your company has to say. This helps to build connections. There is also the opportunity for you to reply to comments that are left on your social media posts. This helps to make your company more real to the people that are interacting with you online and helps to build connections with people that will then know that your company stands by excellent customer service that will take the time to interact online with followers.
5. Brand Advocates
Brand advocates is a technical way of saying people that are willing to promote you and your company’s brand. This can be employees, satisfied clients or other people that are willing to post positive things about your brand. These reviews and other things can help show others how well liked your company is perceived as, and makes it more attractive.
6. Turn Negatives into Positives
You can turn negatives into positives for your brand by responding when there is any negative reviews or posts on your social media sites. It may be hard at first to respond to someone that is not happy with your company, but take a little time and come up with a polite and positive way to help turn that experience into a better one. Not only are you showing that your company cares to others, but you may save that relationship with the unhappy customer.
7. Add Personality
Put your personality into what you have to say and share. People want to know that they are talking with other people rather than a nameless, faceless organization. Show them your human side!
8. Add Buttons
Make it easy for your visitors to share your content on your website and blog by adding social media buttons for them to use.
9. Learn About Your Target Audience
You really should know your target audience as this will help you to better craft your social media messages. Posting things to your social media that does not interest your audience is not helping you to build connections. Focusing on things that will resonate with them will get them interested in what you are sharing and make them interested in sharing your content with their network.
10. Go Offline
It can be easy to think that your social media efforts are only for your online aspects of your business, but that is not necessarily true. Let people you come into contact with in real life know about your social media platforms. This can be easily added to flyers or business cards to get the word out there. They will then like or follow you online, and this will keep your company in their thoughts as you work your social media strategy. Plus, it adds another follower that will help to spread your message.
Need some more ways to maximize your social media? Check out this guide on this social media tool.
These ten tips are the perfect starting places to work on building your connections on social media. Have a favorite method of leveraging your social media accounts to make connections that help your brand and business? Comment below and get the conversations started, which can also help to get your business some notice from others.