Social media is the great equalizer in the market place. It is a chance for small businesses to play at the same level as the multi nationals. While big business was able to take advantage of their large advertising budgets in the previous century, the low entry cost of digital marketing has enabled start-ups to quickly capture large market share with even modest online spending.
As more and more companies realize the value of digital marketing, the competition has become fierce on social media. Having an online presence is now a necessity, and you should be able to get more value out of every dollar spent if you are able to build a strong digital presence. Here are some tips to help you on your social media journey.
Get Visual:
Social media is mostly a visual platform. Whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or YouTube; you should have a large portfolio of pictures and videos to share. Some start-ups use free stock photos and videos, but you should be able to stand out from the crowd and connect with our customers by doing something different.
If you don’t have the budget to hire a professional advertisement agency, there are still ways in which you can build a strong connection with your customers. Remember, customers are people too and people love stories. What is the story behind your company? If you have a compelling story and if you can share that story in an authentic way with pictures and videos taken from your cell phone, you should be able to build a loyal fan base in no time.
Get Everyone Involved:
Building a strong social media presence is just like any other area of business, or for that matter life. Nothing happens overnight. It takes time and effort to get the momentum you need.
In order to get that initial push for your social media page, get your friends and family members involved. Social media algorithms respond to “likes” and subscribers on your channel, and that initial help will get your page noticed.
Start Thinking About Your Brand And Be Consistent:
Each company stands for something. Some companies take pride in providing the best product in the market at a premium price while others offer value for money. What makes your company or product unique? It is this aspect you have to highlight in your posts.
Once you know what kind of message you have to share with your audience, you have to be able to share content with your social media followers regularly. Don’t make the mistake of posting something everyday just for the sake of sharing something. Each post should be meaningful and it should connect with your audience, even if you share something just once a week.
Make Your Social Media Pages A Fun Place To Hang Out:
If you share posts that are only about selling your products, you will run out of creative ideas and people will lose interest. Instead, if you can think about your social media page as a place to connect with your customers, you will be able to listen to them and understand them.
Your social media page can be a fun place for everyone to hang out and share their experiences. You in turn can learn from their experiences to refine your products and make that sales pitch once in a while.
Give Them A Reason To Stay:
There is a simple but effective technique to keep your customers on your social media pages. Offer them discounts or great deals on your products. Start-ups often underestimate the value of this time-tested marketing tactic. People love to get a good deal because it makes them feel special, and no one can say no to a nice gift.
By giving random gifts and offers exclusively to your social media audience, you will not only turn them into loyal customers, but they can also become raving fans who will get their friends and family members to buy your product. If they are habituated to buying your products, people they know will notice and give your products a try. This is a great way to build word of mouth reputation for your brand.
There are a million things you can do to grow your social media pages after getting that initial momentum. Once you have a large enough following, you can outsource the social media marketing to an expert and focus your energies on some other aspect of growing your business.
Ultimately it will depend on the usefulness of your product or service that will determine whether or not your company will grow. If you focus on listening to your customers and on giving what they want, you should have a strong social media presence for your company in no time.
