Social Media is crucial for getting your business noticed by the masses. From its raw organic reach that allows you opportunities to “go viral” to paid media that allows you to target your specific demographic, social media can be a game changer for your marketing strategy.
But social media is WAY more than simply posting something online with your fingers crossed it’ll do something to help your business. If it were that easy, we’d all be rockstars.
Social media is about building personal connections with your audience. It’s about building a story that your target audience can relate to.
Looking to revamp your social media marketing strategy? Here’s our top tips on how to use social media to grow your business.
Be Authentic
In your photos.
In your videos.
In your messaging.
In your tone.
Authenticity is key and what sets you apart from your competition. Use social media to give your audience a glimpse of what your business offers. A little taste of your unique offerings that trigger one, or more, of their five senses.
Own a restaurant? Showcase your menu items through photos and video. This allows your guests to see exactly what they can expect when they place an order — not to mention make them hungry. Senses triggered: taste and smell
Selling a product? Showcase your products in a mix of lifestyle and staged photos. Yes, staged photos look beautiful, but your audience will be more intrigued with seeing not only how your product can help them, but how others are using it. Senses triggered: sight and hearing
Running a medial spa? Showcase those before and afters! Your work can be the difference between someone picking you over a competitor. If you only use stock photos and product photos, how can a potential client see what makes you different? Senses triggered: sight
Own at a gym? Showcase your trainers, your space and your clients. Skip the fake stock photos and give a glimpse into exactly what a potential client can expect when they come to your gym for the first time. This not only builds excitement, but allows your audience to picture them at your facility. Senses triggered: sight and hearing
Be Personable
Going hand in hand with authenticity, you also have to be personable. Sure, your end game is wanting to make a sale, but your posts should be genuine as to build a connection with your audience. No one likes to be sold to or thought of as dollar signs. Use your social media platforms to build genuine connections that grow into returning sales.
Think of it like a boxer. You want to throw some jabs to catch their attention and then go in for the hook. Converting on social media is no different. Focus on creating a story behind your content that your audience can build a connection to and then go in for the sale. Think: Jab, Jab, Hook.
Be Honest
Stay away from making false promises and “to good to be true” posts. Yes, you want to position your brand as the best, but you want to make sure you can deliver on the expectations you are setting up through your social media. It also makes for much a better customer experience.
You can be honest through sharing authentic testimonials, showcasing your expertise in the field, and just honestly being real. Because let’s face it, it’s much easier to connect with an account when it feels like a real person is behind it, not a robot who doesn’t care.
Pro Tip: stay away from using fake testimonials/reviews and please stop using quotes from employees saying how amazing your business is… it never comes off as being honest and (yes) your audience knows it's fake.
Be Patient
Social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Chances are, you won’t be a viral sensation overnight. It takes time, effort, trial and error. We’d love to say you’ll see instant results, but oftentimes you won’t see results until after 3 months of solid effort. If you’re throwing paid media into the mix, maybe after 2 months.
Give yourself time to adjust to see what works and what doesn’t. What works for one business may not work for yours, and that’s okay! It’s important to figure out what works best for YOUR brand. How do you do this? By being authentic, personable, honest and patient.
Pro Tip: No matter how tempting it may sound, do NOT buy followers or likes. We cannot stress this enough. Doing so will hurt your account and it will be challenging to build it back up. You want authentic followers not fake profiles.
Looking to elevate your social media marketing and don’t know where to start? Let’s chat.
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