Did you know that 11 new people start using social media every second? If you want to reach more of these new users — as well as people who have been on social media for years — you need to level up your content strategy and create a social media presence.
Not sure where to start? In this guide, you’ll discover how to build your social media presence, boost brand awareness, and generate impressive results.
1. Set Specific Social Media Advertising Goals
The first step to creating an effective social media strategy is setting goals.
Think about why you’re using social media. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive more traffic to your website? Make more sales with tools like Instagram Shopping?
Get specific when setting goals. Don’t just say you want more website views. Say how many more views you want, when you want to reach that number, and what steps you’re going to take to make it happen.
2. Use the Right Platforms
Every brand doesn’t need to have a social media presence on every platform. If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of creating content for Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest, don’t do it.
Take a step back and consider your target audience. How old are they? What’s their gender and income range? Where do they live?
After evaluating your audience, choose the social media platforms that they’re most likely to use. Focus on those first, and when you feel confident with your strategy, branch out and experiment with different apps.
3. Professionalize Your Profiles
If someone visits your Instagram or Facebook profile for the first time, how easy is it for them to understand what products or services your business sells?
Can they figure out how to get to your website, find your brick-and-mortar store, or give you a call?
Update and professionalize your profiles, so key information is easy to find, and use a high-resolution profile picture that represents your brand.
Consider incorporating relevant hashtags into your profile’s bio, too, to help it show up in people’s search results.
4. Create and Stick to a Posting Schedule
Many marketers make the mistake of trying to create and share content in real time. They wake up, think of an idea for a post, and try to take photos or videos, edit them, and write a caption — all in the span of a couple of hours.
This approach is time-consuming, and it also takes you away from other essential tasks on your to-do list. Instead of real-time content creation, batch-create your posts and schedule them in advance.
Planning ahead allows you to rest easy, knowing your post for the day is ready to go. It also helps you be more consistent, which allows you to win the algorithm’s favor and get more attention for your content.
5. Vary Your Content
When you practice content planning and stick to a posting schedule, it’s easier to vary your posts and avoid sharing the same thing every day.
People will get bored and stop engaging if your content feels too repetitive. They might even mute your account or unfollow you altogether.
Experiment with different types of content, from highly curated photos and professionally designed infographics to behind-the-scenes videos and interviews with real customers.
6. Avoid Aggressive Sales Tactics
Even if one of your social media marketing goals is to generate more sales, you should avoid being too aggressive with your online sales pitches.
If people feel that they constantly have new products or services pushed down their throats, they will be turned off by your content.
Strive to provide value with your posts instead. Educate your audience, teach them new ways to use your products, or introduce them to industry experts.
7. Focus on Relationships
Along with sharing valuable content, it’s essential to focus on building relationships with your audience.
Don’t just try to gain as many followers as possible. Look for ways to get to know your audience and connect with them on a deeper level (respond to comments and DMs, conduct polls, etc.).
It doesn’t matter that you have a million followers if they’re not genuinely interested in your brand and your products or services. Having a small, highly engaged audience is better than a large, disinterested one.
8. Keep an Eye on the Latest Trends
Pay attention to trending hashtags or post styles (challenges, songs, etc.) and incorporate them into your content when it makes sense. You don’t have to jump on every bandwagon, but if something seems relevant to your brand, try it out.
It helps to keep an eye on your competitors, too. When you monitor competitors’ social media content, it’s easier to see what works and what doesn’t.
9. Invest in Paid Ads
Invest in paid ads if you’re looking for other ways to use social media in marketing.
Paid ads can help you get your content in front of people who are most likely to buy your products or services. They are highly targeted and allow you to reach specific segments of your audience.
Social media ads are often quite cost-effective, too. No matter how small your budget is, you can find advertising options that match it and help you get more online attention.
10. Monitor Online Performance
Social media platforms provide a lot of insight into your posts’ performance, your brand’s visibility, and your audience demographics.
You can also invest in other tools that share even more details to help you understand how close you are to reaching your social media marketing goals.
Whether you invest in additional tools or not, make sure you’re monitoring your social media performance regularly. Checking in often helps you evaluate performance, figure out which posts get the most attention, and identify areas where you can make improvements.
11. Hire a Social Media Agency to Build Your Social Media Presence
Do you need more help with your social media advertising and brand-building? Partner with a social media company that offers digital marketing services.
A social media agency or marketing firm will connect you with experts who can assess your current strategy, help you set goals, and assist you in achieving them.
Not sure which social media advertising firm to hire? Look at online portfolios to see the social marketing company’s work and find an agency that has experience helping brands like yours.
Boost Your Brand’s Social Media Presence Today
Now that you’ve learned how to build a social media strategy and increase brand awareness online, it’s time to get to work.
Experiment with the tips discussed above to create a unique strategy that helps you achieve your goals.
For more help refining your approach, contact us at Socialistics. Our social media marketing strategists can assist with B2B and B2C campaigns that produce real results.
