Let’s talk about social media and businesses. Posting photos as an individual is quite fun on social media. The pre-posting blues, and then waiting for the flood of likes and comments falling on you. Maybe you are one of those people who has a wide social circle and you know what we are talking about. But on the other hand, maybe you’re someone reserved and have a small social circle, so having an active social media account was never a big concern for you.
But isn’t this article about businesses?
Of course, it is. So, gear up because you are going to need all the experience you have gained till now to grow your business and promote it using social media. Social media noob or pro, it doesn’t matter; all you have to do is stream through this article and apply the tips mentioned herewith consistency. Let’s begin.
1. For the complete beginner
Having great business acumen and knowing how to use social media are two different things. Completely different. So, this section is for someone who doesn’t have much experience or understanding of how social media works — which is quite rare for our times, but nonetheless beneficial to go through.
Choose your platform
What’s an audio production company doing uploading regular gifs on Snapchat and not using Spotify at all? Or how about a theatre company uploading photos on Instagram but not uploading any videos of plays or sketches on YouTube? Let’s take another example. A knitting business doing rounds on Reddit and not reaching out to crafting pages on Instagram.
We think you get the point now. You have to set up your profile where it belongs. If your content is visually appealing and static with just the right touch of video-based content, Instagram and Snapchat are the way to go. If your content involves written messages along with a few photos for each post, then you should check out Twitter. Maybe your business is looking to produce 2-10 minutes long videos every week, then YouTube is the place for you.
The point is, be on the platform where your business belongs.
Setting up the profile
You have the right platform figured out for your business? Great! Let’s start setting up the profile.
This is your checklist:
- Profile picture;
- Description;
- Mention location of the company;
- Follow similar profiles in the same niches;
- Fill all the About Us boxes the networking site has;
- Link your website;
- Upload some introductory posts about your company.
And you should be good to go.
It’s a brand on social media
On social media, you are no longer just defined as a business. You have entered the brand leagues now. So, what’s the difference between being a brand and a business?
A business is a body that produces products for customers or provides services for a target market. We can hear you asking “Isn’t that the same as a brand?”. Right and wrong. Your brand is the public face of your company. It engages with people, takes customer feedback, produces engaging content, and everything else that has to do with the interaction part.
On social media, you always have to present yourself as a brand: someone who actively posts and is engaged with the followers. You’ll understand it better as you go through the article.
2. Posting content
Here’s what will really build your business/brand on social media. Promotion is fine, but it won’t do you any good unless your social media handle is offering people something valuable and beneficial on a personal level.
Don’t be a product catalog
But wait, didn’t I start social media so that I could promote my business?
Yes, you did, but you have to be smart about it. Take, for example, a brand-new, fitness-oriented beverage company. Just posting about your list of product range won’t help. Let’s say you upload one post on your new drink. Make the next post discussing nutrients that are healthy for the body. Use the right hashtags and a fitness-freak audience will start to lure you towards your post. What happens next? They get interested in your page and decide to visit it.
Active Engagement
Along with active posts, your followers need to know that you respond to them. A common way is to give shout-outs. Responding to comments and messages is great, too. How amazing do you feel when Dwayne Johnson actually responds to your 1050th comment on his latest post? That’s the emotion you want in your followers.
Use hashtags relevant to your business’s niche. But not too many, as then it won’t work well.
3. Promoting your brand
This is where you will actively promote your brand.
Collaborations
Reach out to similar businesses, companies, and brands and plan a collaboration. It can be a cross-promoting video, a joint product launch, or anything that you can think of. It’s a great way to introduce your business to a wider audience.
Influencer marketing
This requires some extra resources. Contact social media influencers and tie up with them to promote your business. Make sure the influencer belongs to your niche and has an actively engaging and ever-growing audience who will visit your page at their suggestion. Use Nuwber to look up additional information on your targeted influencers like contacts or addresses. It will also help you make sure you’re reaching the real deal and not a fraudster.
Contests and giveaways
Who doesn’t love free stuff? Hold regular contests that engage people with your brand. It can include posting a photo with your hashtag and getting featured on your page. As for giveaways, the principle is similar, but the conditions are limited. Something like “The first three people to comment will get ...” will work well.
CTA buttons
Include call-to-action buttons that prod users to engage with your page. Some CTA indicators are:
- Asking questions and telling users to leave their thoughts;
- Including external links to your other social media;
- Free coupons for doing an action;
- Asking what the next post can be.
These are just some simple examples. CTA buttons have a lot to offer, you might want to do some research focused on them.
Promoting your business on social media has a lot to do with consistency. You need to be regular and persistent in what you are doing. Maybe it will take a few days, but once it starts rolling, there’s no stopping your growth.