It’s almost unheard of now to walk into a public place without seeing most people attached to their smart phones. People are constantly connected to one another on multiple social media sites. This gives businesses ample opportunity to reach clients. Social media should be at the center of your marketing plan as you try to grow your business. It’s the means by which you can drive potential clients to your website.
Pick Social Media Sites Consistent with Your Brand
When you begin formulating a plan for social media outreach, devise a list of social network sites that are consistent with your brand image. Make sure you take into account the demographic most likely to purchase the product or service you are offering. Some sites such as Facebook are good for creating brand awareness given the wide expanse of users. Instagram can be useful in targeting the millennial generation. LinkedIn is a great place to connect with business professionals who may be interested in what you have to offer.
To find out details about clients and other useful information in building your social media strategy, take advantage of Google Analytics. Using the site you can find out which online campaigns are most effective in driving consumers to your home page. This allows you to zero in on the most effective parts of your online strategy. You can also track the demographic of your visitors using the tool and find out the content they are most interested in. This gives you a way to develop similar content in the future to keep visitors engaged.
Create Useful and Shareable Content
Being successful on social media is all about creating useful content that visitors will want to share. Every post you share should be consistent with the image of your brand. Determine the content that will make your brand most visible. When choosing a domain name, make sure it is consistent with your image. Building brand recognition increases credibility making more people willing to share your content. Think about whether your client base will respond best to visual graphics or informative articles? Check out competitors’ sites to see how users responded to their posts. After you do this, develop content that is even stronger that may touch on similar subject matter. Google Analytics can help you formulate content as it tells you what is getting the most clicks on your site.
Mention Influencers in Your Industry
Your business likely sells something that is offered by competitors. How do you stand out from the crowd? One way to gain more recognition on social media is by mentioning influencers in your industry. Google Alerts will pick up your content when you cite their names and notify them. You should also shoot them an email telling them you mentioned their content in your piece. By doing so, the individual may be prompted to share your content with their followers broadening your reach.
Influencers will increase the number of people talking about your product because their audience views them as credible and believes they would only recommend reputable companies. The key to finding influencers in your industry is to follow as many experts online as you can find. Tools such as BuzzSumo and Followerwonk are sites that can help you get in touch with top figures in your industry. Theses two sites show their reach, level of engagement, and influence.
Update Your Social Media Site Regularly
Make sure you update your sites regularly. Keep tabs on your social media each day to make sure your client base receives a steady stream of information. You should be posting content daily. Diversify the content you publish in order to increase engagement. Clients like to see variety. Ask questions in your posts to spark a conversation and take part in online discussions. If potential clients see you are an active participate online, they will be ensured that you care about the product you are selling. If you need help keeping your pages up to date, sites such as Sprout Social can formulate a publishing schedule for you so you can always have something fresh up.
Monitor Social Media Sites
Monitor social media in order to participate in online discussions when your site is mentioned. Set up alerts for branded terms or service-related search phrases. Receiving alerts will enable you to take part in online discussions to better advertise your brand. You will also be able to develop products and services that more closely fit your customer’s needs. It is also important to watch for instances where your reputation is being called into question. If a consumer complains about what you offer, directly contact them on social media before they spread negativity which could result in losing clients. Tools such as Hootsuite enable you to listen to what is being said about your brand by notifying you when words or phrases are used that are associated with you business.
Use Geo-targeting to Direct Content to a Specific Consumer
If you want to gear your content toward a specific audience, geo-targeting is a useful tool. The site Hootsuite enables you to send Twitter or Facebook messages to specific groups based on their location. You can change your message according to where your client is located enabling you to focus on different audiences. This allows you to hone in on a particular clientele. Messages tailored to the interest of a particular audience could gain more response.
Host a Contest to Increase Visibility
Another way to build your client base on social media is to host a contest. Feature a prize that appeals to your customers. Stipulate that in order to enter, visitors must share one of your posts on social media networks. This will increase your visibility online. Building brand awareness will be reflected in the number of new clients you attain.
This guest post is courtesy of Sarah Saker. She is a business coach and freelance writer that specializes in helping SMBs setup processes for customer support and predictable growth. When not writing or coaching, Sarah can be found on her (small but growing!) family farm. Connect with Sarah on about.me for coaching or writing help.
|