created by Abbie Markham /
Software Account Manager
Having a strong social media presence has become a crucial element of any brand’s marketing strategy. In a study by Sprout Social, it was discovered that 90% of people will buy from brands they follow on social media.
So how does social media work?
Just having a presence on social media accounts isn't the answer. Adopting the wrong social media approach can lead to disengaged followers, which can result in missed opportunities and a negative impact on your reputation and brand credibility.
Here are six handy tips that our social media marketing experts have put together to help your brand win on social media:
Tip 1 - Mix up your posts
Make sure that your social media posts are a mix of promotional offers, interesting advisory articles about your industry that your followers would be interested in and some fun, light-hearted posts that showcase your company’s culture and personable approach. Experiment with different post types - links, images, videos, polls, stories - the sky’s the limit!
The last thing you want to do is deter followers because you’re only posting predictable advertisements for your business. Maintaining an interesting and relevant mix of posts will ensure that you keep your followers engaged and coming back for more.
Tip 2 - Pay to play
If you really want to be successful at the social media game, you have to be willing to pay to play. Facebook organic reach is nothing like it was in the beginning, so to really ensure that your posts are being seen by the right people, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have advertising programs that provide a huge opportunity to generate traffic, leads and sales.
Tip 3 - Post regularly but not too regularly
Knowing when to post on social media is a delicate matter – post sporadically and you risk being easily forgotten yet post too often and your followers could soon tire of you.
There a number of automation tools out there such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite that can help you schedule posts if you simply don’t have the time or resource to keep logging in. Don’t go overboard with the automation though or you could disengage your audience and end up with a dwindling following.
The key message is be consistent to keep your brand fresh in the minds of your followers, but be careful that you’re not annoying or overwhelming.
Tip 4 - Respond to customer feedback promptly
Social media has become an ideal medium for customers to vent their frustrations about a company. A simple tweet or facebook post can get the attention of that company in seconds. Businesses need to be quick off the mark to address the situation – ignore it and it could easily spiral out of all control. The key is to respond professionally and promptly asking them to contact you ASAP privately so you can look to resolve the issue quickly and painlessly. The various social media accounts have alert notifications so you can be instantly informed of a disgruntled customer’s tweet or post.
Tip 5 - Check your analytics
Resources like Facebook Page Insights and Twitter analytics can provide you with all the information you need to see what is working and what isn’t. Make sure you’re checking these daily to stay on top of your campaigns and posts. You’ll be able to see what type of content receives the most engagement and what type of content is driving the most clicks through to your website. These analytics will give you valuable insight into how your audience members react on social media so you can tailor your efforts to cater to their habits.
Tip 6 - Don’t spread yourself too thinly
It’s advisable to pick just a few social media networks that you know your target audience is active on, rather than trying to be present on every platform available and offering your followers a diluted a user experience. Posting relevant and interesting content on your key social media platforms will be far more beneficial to your brand than having a less than strong presence across them all.
Here at b4b marketing, we have a team of social media marketing experts that can help you devise and implement a social media strategy for your business. Working with you, they can generate ideas for posts and manage any updates on your behalf to ensure your social media presence is professional, consistent and engaging. For more information, please visit our dedicated social media marketing page or call 01202 684400 for a chat!
