Getting Started on Social Media
Social media is such a big part of today’s time! Although it is great for connecting with friends and family, it can also be a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience. Not only can you reach your audience, you can also engage with them! This takes your marketing from one-way communication to two-way communication, most other forms of marketing don’t have that ability.
There’s so much to learn about social media marketing that it can be hard to know where to even begin. We’ve put together this list of 9 tips and tricks to help you master your social media strategy and watch your following grow!
9 Elements of a Successful Social Media Strategy
1. Define Your Goals
Knowing what you want out of your social media is the first step! Here are some of the few things to consider and choose from: increase brand awareness, drive sales, drive website traffic and generate leads. The goal you choose will shape your posts and tone of voice on your social media. For example, if you want to generate leads or sales you might post about what services you offer with your phone number or a link to your website.
2. Know Your Audience
You want to provide content that your customer will love! This starts with knowing your audience. A good way to start is to create a buyer persona to identify their demographics, interests, and pain points. Knowing these things about your customer can make it easier to create content that your customer will resonate with.
3. Choose the Right Platforms
Some popular platforms you may want to consider are Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest. These platforms differ in what you can use them for and who uses them. For instance, Instagram is most popular among 18-24 year olds that love looking at aesthetic photos, while Facebook is most popular with 25-34 year olds and is more community and events based. Don’t forget you can always use a combination of any platforms you choose!
4. Create a Variety of Content
Most social media users have very short attention spans which means you need a variety of engaging content. This can be any combination of photos, videos, and graphics. Try to not be too repetitive and most importantly make it relevant to your customer!
5. Consistency is Key
Consistency is one of the most important parts of social media! Let’s go over a few things you should establish before starting your social media!
- First are your colors, these should match your logo and be a majority of what shows up on your social media. Colors allow customers to relate the post to your brand and logo.
- Second is your fonts! Fonts create cohesion between all your assets and allows for better brand recognition. Your chosen fonts should not only appear on your social media, but also your website, flyers, and anything else you make.
- Third is your brand voice. Decide the tone and voice you want to use for your brand — is it funny? serious? approachable? elite? Pick a voice and stay consistent with it.
- Finally, make a schedule and decide how many times you will post a week. This allows your company to be at the top of your customer’s minds and stay relevant.
6. Don’t Overuse Hashtags
Hashtags are used at the end of your caption and include keywords that relate to your post. They are mostly helpful on Instagram and increase the discoverability of your content. This allows you to gain more followers! Don’t overuse them though, Instagram has said they will mark your post as spam for using more than 5.
7. Engage With Your Followers
One of the best things about social media is you can talk and engage with your followers! Don’t forget to respond to their comments and messages in order to create a connection with them. This can turn into a loyal, trusted relationship.
8. Analyze and Adjust
The insights on social media are free! Take advantage of that and check out how you’re doing! This is a great way to see what your followers like to see. Keep posting what they like and change what they don’t! It is all about staying relevant!
9. Watch Your Following Grow
We hope these steps work for your business and allow your social media to thrive! You can follow and friend other businesses in your area or people that will love your product, and watch your followers grow!
You’ve Got This!
Social media can have a slow start, especially if you’re starting from scratch with zero followers, but don’t get discouraged. Social media is such an attainable and approachable way for your business to grow on these platforms once you get into the rhythm of it!
Stay true to your goals and have fun experimenting with different content types. A strong social media presence is just a couple of clicks and a little persistence away. The team at Rinard Media is always here to help if you need some guidance or support from the pros!
