Since the advent of social media, and the Internet in general, the way business is conducted has completely changed. In 2016 alone, marketers have spent nearly $31 billion on social media advertising worldwide, and this figure is expected to rise 26.3 percent in 2017. It’s clear that social media advertising works. The next step is to find out how to harness social media to your advantage so you can grow your business as fast as possible.
1. Literally Put a Face on Your Business
If you’re selling something, your ultimate goal should be fantastic customer service. People like to know they’re interacting with humans and not a faceless corporation. Regularly interact with customers and followers on social media. Respond to their complaints and questions in a timely manner, and sign the post with your name. Include photos of “behind-the-scenes” work at the office and a post of whatever you’re doing that’s keeping you motivated that day. People appreciate when you share your inspirations.
2. Incorporate Visuals Into Your News Feed
We live in a world of instant gratification and three-minute reads. Like it or not, your followers and customers live in this world and most of them will exhibit behaviour that responds to quick fixes. It’s also refreshing to vary the types of posts you’re publishing by including infographics, charts, and videos.
The fact is that Facebook posts with images have an 87 percent interaction rate compared to the 4 percent of posts with only links and text. Businesses benefit immensely from videos that explain their services or products rather than expecting potential customers to read 1,000 words of text that tells them why they should buy. It’s much easier to watch a one-minute video. The best news is that you don’t need a staff of video engineers to create your videos. Businesses like Spiel Studios will create a short animated video that explains your business and why customers should purchase your products. Invest in a professional explainer video and watch your business boom.
3. Blog Consistently, and Link to Blog Posts
Followers and potential customers will lose interest if you don’t consistently provide fresh content. New content won’t only keep current followers interested, but will obviously attract new ones. A good goal is one or two blog posts a week. Then, update your social media platforms with a link to your blog including a photo and teaser that will peak your followers’ interest enough to click over to your blog.
4. Offer Freebies and Incentives
Nothing will keep followers loyal like free stuff. In fact, 58 percent of Facebook users expect to receive deals when they follow a business. Offer a free eBook to give potential customers a taste of what you offer, and you’ll likely lock them down as paying customers.
Make your incentives fun by making the giveaways a game. Anything can be a contest. Host a trivia or photo contest that directs participants to your company’s website. This will ensure a great influx of traffic, and with more interaction on social media, your post will be at the top of people’s news feeds.
5. Have Conversations
This, like the first point, will guarantee happy customers and followers. Or at least followers that know their thoughts matter. Without them you wouldn’t have a business, so respect people with complaints and respond professionally. Even better is a scheduled period of time when you’re answering questions and addressing concerns.
Instruct followers to post their thoughts during a certain time period and to use a specific hashtag. This will ensure that even those customers that may not like your product will know they’ve been heard, and are less likely to trash talk your company far and wide. Pride yourself on a reputation for being personable and approachable. You want to run a business that listens to concerns and accepts feedback, positive and negative.
Conclusion
With all the information about the best marketing strategies to use on social media, you could spend a lifetime reading them all. The only way you’ll know what works for your business is to actually apply what you learn and troubleshoot. There’s no doubt that your social media strategies will be as unique as your business, so pick a few things you think will be advantageous and get out there and work!