3.02 billion.
That’s the number of social media users worldwide. If you don’t have a social media strategy for your company, you are missing out on a powerful marketing tool.
Branding is often overlooked by the small business owner because the return on investment is not always easy to see. But failing to invest in brand awareness will have a negative impact in the long run.
If you are a start-up, your branding will start with a strong logo.
How do you capitalize on social media to promote your brand? Read on to learn how to boost brand awareness on social media.
Choose the Right Channel on Social Media
There are 5 major social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Make sure you are focusing your efforts on the right one to meet your customers. More is not always better; be choosy in picking the right platform for you.
If you have the budget, time, or money to use more than one platform, you should.
Below is the focus of each of the big social media channels so you can choose the right one for you.
It tends to skew to an older audience but its ads remain inexpensive and powerful.
On Facebook, pictures and videos are great, but you can also use more text in your social media content.
Don’t forget about engagement. Because of Facebook’s older demographic, they are looking to interact with you and your brand.
In contrast, content on Twitter is delivered in smaller bites.
On this platform, you want to engage your followers in tweeting about their experiences with your brand.
Caution: Twiter users are looking for continuous customer service. To make this platform work, you have to monitor your content regularly.
Instagram has become a powerhouse in the world of e-commerce, especially if you are targeting millennials.
Visuals are key on this platform.
IGTV is taking off for short videos about your products. If you are using video advertising on Instagram, set your account to play when customers are on wireless, not cellular data. They will be more likely to watch the entire message.
Pinterest is also a powerful tool.
This platform has ideas and inspiration for most of everything. It tends to skew towards a female audience. If this describes your demographic, then start pinning.
LinkedIn is especially resourceful for business to business marketing.
It is a great place to find talent for your company as well. Remember, brand awareness comes from many places.
Once you have decided on your platform, now you can focus on the social media message to promote your brand.
Social Media for Brand Awareness
Below are ways to use social media to increase your brand awareness.
Sharing Is Caring
Capitalize on the customers you already have to gain more like them.
Ask your best customers to share your posts. Sharing varies by platform. On Facebook, you need to set your post to shareable, for example, to capitalize on this type of posting.
Create Contests
Who doesn’t love to win?
Run contests as lead magnets to get people to engage with your brand. Follow the rules for contests on the platform you use, and give followers an extra entry for sharing with their friends.
Quality Counts in Content
You need to use new and engaging content to engage your followers.
You want to set yourself to be a credible authority in your field. Keep it positive and light to gain a loyal group of followers.
Try not to engage negatively with trollers.
You Need to Engage
Regardless of the platform, you need to engage with your followers.
Like their comments or posts. Reply to comments personally. The more engagement you have on social media the more connection they have to your brand. This may be the easiest way to increase brand loyalty.
Ask Questions
One way to engage followers is to ask questions.
Questions can be about something related to your industry or use them to gain information about your customers. Regardless of the questions, it is one way to significantly increase engagement on your site.
Don’t Tell Your Customers about Your Products — Show Them
You can use social media to share the benefits of your products.
You can also use it to address common barriers to purchasing. Put time into these posts to ensure they are not pushy, as that can turn off customers.
Offer a Free Demo
Offer to do free demos of your products for interested customers.
Be Consistent and Post Regularly
This cannot be stressed enough.
If you want to use social media in your marketing strategy, you have to be consistent in your posting and engagement. There are programs that will allow you to schedule your posts, for the week so your only job is engagement.
Do You Have a Brand Personality?
If you don’t, you need to develop one. You are creating a relationship with your customers and they want to get to know your brand like you would get to know a new friend.
Keep in mind if your product line is broad, your brand personality will have to talk to all segments of your market. You can also use different voices on different platforms as each platform has a different following.
Collaborate with Online Influencers
If you are using Instagram, this is a great way to gain more followers.
Find an influencer in your area and follow them for a while. If you think their voice will reach your customers, then engage them.
Influencers can boost your brand’s online reputation.
Are You Ready to Take Your Small Business to the Next Level?
Whether you have been on social media for years, or are just starting out, you should capitalize on its power.
An effective marketing strategy needs social media, a powerful website, and other tools to find and sell to the right customer.
We offer the support you need to take your small business to the next level.
