By: Grace Decicco, 1903 Public Relations
Let’s face it, in today’s growing digital world whether you run a fortune 500 business or are a remote startup, social media can have a major impact on business. Creating a thoughtful presence can increase awareness/visibility, lead generation and connect with potential/existing customers. In order to effectively differentiate from competitors, businesses need to leverage relevant platforms to communicate directly to their audience.
When done right, it can positively impact your brand and revenue. When done wrong, it has the potential to take down an entire company. Navigating your business through the turbulence of social media can be tricky, but with the right guidance, it can pay off. Here are a few social media strategies that can be implemented quickly and easily.
Identify The Platforms Your Customers Use and Double Down
There are a number of platforms used daily across the world that include: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Youtube, to name a few. Understanding the demographics of the audience you are trying to reach and then cross referencing with the main users of each platform can maximize your efforts.
Companies need to decipher what efforts are motivating sales for your business and that can help dictate what platform(s) you can utilize to reach your audience. A variable to consider is that content from one platform might not be as hard hitting on another. For instance, posts on LinkedIn are likely to have a more buttoned-up tone vs. those on TikTok that might be more playful.
Ask yourself: Does your business primarily sell to other businesses or are you selling directly to consumers? Does your business sell products or services or both? Different audiences tend to flock to different platforms. Doing your research and knowing what platforms cater to your customers will elevate exposure for your business.
Understand and Communicate Information Your Audience Wants to Hear
Once you identify your key customer demographics, you then need to understand how to best communicate with those customers to achieve business goals. What platforms are they likely to be found on and what information do they want to receive from you?
Because of social media’s immediacy, a business can instantly release information into the world. Establishing the tone and voice of your company is imperative to this. Take a consumer brand like Wendy’s. Their social media team leans on humor, while financial institutions such as Wells Fargo have a more professional tone.
While some might want a brand to be relatable, others might want to sound stable and authoritative. Social tracking and listening will play a major factor in understanding what your audience wants. Keep your thumb on the pulse of conversations your audience is having about the industry, your company, and overall social engagement to map the direction of your content.
Establish Brand Identity and Stay Consistent Across All Platforms
Even the most successful and memorable brand accounts post with a plan and purpose. It might seem like they post on a whim, but the fact is they have a strategy mapped out with purpose and a specific voice they follow.
Once you have decided what type of voice you want to carry across your social media, then you must stay consistent and post on a regular basis. From keeping your audience updated on company news, to celebrating holidays, it’s important that you keep a regular cadence. Even if you post once/multiple times a day, three times a week, it’s important to keep a base foundation.
Whether you want to be educational, humorous, formal, motivating, hip, or helpful, establishing the voice and purpose you want to showcase will give you a character that your audience can relate to and remember you by. Experimenting with your brand’s voice is the best way to see what works best with your audience and how it compares to your competitors.
Social media is a powerful tool when used correctly and can make or break your business. It is important to have purpose and a planned strategy for your brand. Implementing a ;long term strategy may not be easy, but by taking a step back and planning out your social media posts, you can have a real impact on the success of your business.
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