To succeed in business companies need to focus their efforts on where their most profitable audiences live. In this digital age, that place is the Internet – particularly, social media. According to Statista, estimates are that there will be approximately 2.77 billion social media users by 2019.
An active presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn can help you grow your business by increasing awareness, helping you get in front of both new and existing customers. You can also leverage social media as a channel for customer service and ultimately, drive potential customers to visit your company website to purchase your products or services. Here are seven ways to grow your business through social media:
1. Use Hashtags
Hashtags help you get found. By using hashtags in your posts, the social network can index it, making your posts discoverable by other users. Use relevant hashtags that are popular in your niche.
2. Trivia Games and Contests
Asking questions or holding contests are great ways to build up engagement. They bring in likes, follows, shares, and traffic if you design the games right. Users are happier to play when they know there is an incentive; offer a discount, a trial, or a freebie.
3. Create a Content Calendar
Consistency is vital to building a strong presence on social media. Start by identifying your target audiences. Take stock of your content assets. Will you be creating your content or curating? Schedule when to publish. Make sure you promote your content across all your channels and track its performance.
4. Promote Across All Your Channels
Promoting on social media is an excellent way to increase traffic to your website. It’s not enough to publish content on your blog; you have to encourage them on your social media accounts. Share it on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with an engaging post. You can also help the post on Instagram by posting a related image with a caption describing the blog. Invite your audience to visit your website by clicking on the link in your profile.
5. Ask Customers to Share
Invite your audience to share their experiences with your products and services. Not only is it a great way to gain user-generated content, but it also humanizes your brand. When your customers allow you to share their content, your brand becomes more relatable.
6. Paid Social
To make your efforts more active, you need to spend on Ads. Paid social is excellent for generating leads, increasing brand awareness, and reaching a targeted audience. Use paid social when you launch new campaigns or release a new product.
7. Be Active
Engage with your target audience and industry influencers to get your brand on the radar. Post content that invites a conversation. Engage with your audience by liking and commenting on their posts. Share content from influencers and tag them to get their attention; and hopefully, they will return the favor and share your content.
Remember that when it comes to growing your business on social media, engagement matters more than numbers. While it’s great to have thousands of followers, they are meaningless if you don’t have an audience that shows interest in your activities. Therefore, to amplify your social media marketing efforts, make sure you know your audience well and create content that speaks directly to them.
