Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter; all of these social media platforms are valuable tools you can utilise to engage your customers and market your brand. Engaging your audience isn’t an easy or a quick process, but the benefits more than outweigh the work. There are some strategies you can use to help move the engagement process along quicker.
Start Building Your Channels Early
Don’t wait until you’ve launched your business to start building your social media presence. You want to get out and build your presence early because it’ll give you time to connect with your potential audience. You can start by sharing information that is directly related to your business’s field and become a knowledgeable and reliable source of information. Use this time to connect with other people or companies in your niche and in your network.
Connect with Your Industry’s Influencers
No one likes someone who wants a relationship with them just because they need something. This is why it’s important to connect with people before you ask them for something. You can start out by searching for bloggers or journalists that excel in your industry. If their content is relevant to your business, read, share, and comment on things they’ve written or posted. Connecting early to these influencers can help your business in the long run. When you need them to help you gain exposure, they’ll likely be more willing to work with you if they’ve interacted with you before that point.
Find Your Target Audience
Explore the various social media platforms and find out which ones make it easiest for you to connect with your audience. Observe your prospective audience and find out their interests and what the current conversations are about that relate to your industry. This step will take time, and you’ll have to do your homework and find people who are interested in topics that pertain to your industry or your business. But the insights you’ll gain will help you determine which social media platforms, what type of content (video, images, text, contests), and what tone and style will resonate the most with your target audience.
Engage Your Audience
You want to join your audience’s conversation, and you can do this by using Google Hangouts or Twitter chats that are about your business. You can also join the conversation by using hashtags that are relevant to your business. You don’t want to jump in and say, ‘Buy my products!”, but if you engage your audience and build your presence, this will eventually lead to brand awareness and help you to generate leads. This can make people more receptive to buying from your business.
Social media is a dynamic marketing channel with almost unlimited potential. You want to start developing your strategy early to ensure the greatest chances for your business’s success. Working smart and working hard are key pieces to harnessing the power of social media.
