More than half the global population currently uses social media, making it an invaluable asset for business. Unfortunately, however, not every platform offers equal results.
Understanding your business and its goals can help you determine which platforms and metrics best suit your marketing strategy, and measure success.
1. Build a community.
Communities provide people a space to communicate, exchange information and build connections – benefits which both businesses and consumers can reap the rewards from.
At its core, community is about being part of something greater than yourself; being among others who share similar interests and goals makes people feel less isolated.
Business and social media should serve as platforms to create this community, prioritizing those that will gain most from its existence. Showing appreciation is essential, as is building trust between a brand and its members.
2. Engage with customers.
Social media can be an incredible marketing asset for businesses, so it is vital that it be utilized appropriately. Social media offers businesses a great way to build brand recognition, drive sales and track consumer trends.
Social media provides another effective tool for engaging customers and building lasting relationships, so here are a few strategies to maximize its use:
One effective way to engage your audience is to post content that provides insight into what goes on behind-the-scenes at your business. From employee videos or humorous TikTok clips, giving people an inside peek can create trust among audiences by making them feel part of what makes you tick and showing what drives your organization forward. Make sure to post this type of material across all social media platforms for maximum impact!
3. Build brand awareness.
Brand image plays an integral part in customer decisions to purchase, so it is vital that businesses build brand recognition in order to increase sales and create customer loyalty.
Building brand recognition involves engaging your target audience through advertising, marketing and social media to link their actions, experiences and emotions with your products and services. This process can be accomplished via advertisements, promotions and other channels of promotion.
Authenticity is another essential component of building brand awareness, providing your brand with its own distinctive voice and persona.
Triple Whale’s viral post on TikTok shows how telling personal stories from brands they follow can be an effective strategy for increasing brand recognition. Followers enjoy seeing genuine, relatable posts from their favorite companies; genuine content helps strengthen social presence and build more brand recognition.
4. Increase sales.
Social media can be an excellent way to drive sales for your business. Not only can it spread the word about new offerings and services, but it’s also a powerful way to stay in contact with existing customers and form meaningful relationships.
Intelligent use of social media is key to increasing your bottom line through this channel, including making the most of your time on platforms, using analytics to understand what audiences are saying, and learning their buying patterns.
Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are popularly used by small businesses looking to raise their brand awareness and establish connections with target customers. Each provides its own set of features designed to make life simpler for businesses.
5. Build loyalty.
Social media marketing’s primary strength lies in its ability to develop customer loyalty. Retaining customers are more likely to advocate for your brand, support future launches and share its content on their channels.
Customer loyalty is vitally important to businesses as it drives repeat sales, boosts conversion rates and costs less than recruiting new customers. Retaining existing customers is five times less costly than recruiting a new customer – helping your business to boost its profits significantly.
Companies can increase customer retention and build customer loyalty through offering incentives like free items, discounts or loyalty points.
