Brand growth has become impossible without a social media presence. But while it’s a great way to reach a larger audience and clientele, there’s a slight issue with how businesses use this platform. They often create generic and sales-driven content, which audiences don’t appreciate as much. But when it comes to maintaining your business’s brand reputation, what else can you do?
Indeed, how do you reconcile the perfect modern advertising venue with an audience that can’t stomach sales pitches and empty promises anymore?
This article covers four key elements of a social media strategy that drives results, builds a loyal community, and encourages audience engagement with your content.
Get to Know Your Crowd and Your Rivals
You can’t create a customer-centric social media strategy without intimate knowledge of your audience’s wants, needs, and struggles. You’ll achieve far more success by offering products and services that resonate with a niche’s aspirations and pain points than by vaguely targeting a broad audience.
Learning what makes your followers tick isn’t rocket science. Examine your social media post history and see which type of content, tone, and topics perform the best. Set up surveys and polls that address specific concerns or wishes of customers to tailor your products better.
Additionally, always keep an eye on the competition. On the one hand, you can find out what works for them and put your unique spin on a proven formula. On the other hand, you may discover what type of content or offerings others might not have tapped into yet and be the first to fill in the gap.
Choose Meaning Over Noise
No one wants to see – let alone engage with – yet another ad disguised as a post. They can always visit your website for the details. So, how do you get people to take that next step? Make them appreciate your brand and want to learn more by offering insightful, helpful content.
It all comes down to providing value your audience can’t get elsewhere. For instance, you might have developed a product for moms because you have unique insights on parenting to share. Whether it’s personal experiences, expert advice, or a fresh take on everyday challenges, your business’s social media should offer something that truly resonates with your audience.
Businesses also often overlook how they create content. There are more effective approaches than posting a photo with a description. People are increasingly drawn to videos, so consider creating tutorials on how to use your products.
Even better, stream live regularly. This gives followers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look, allowing you to introduce employees and humanize your brand. Interacting in real-time and answering questions fosters a sense of exclusivity and familiarity, turning participants into loyal customers.
Buddy Up with the Right Influencers
Influencer collaborations are another excellent way of establishing social credibility, especially if you’re an up-and-comer. They let you tap into established audiences and yield great results if the influencer genuinely cares for and advocates your offerings. Of course, that means careful vetting and choosing influencers whose content and values align with your own.
Another crucial factor when working with freelancers is learning how to leverage partnerships with them and clearly defining your business goals. Without this, you risk wasting money on a single post instead of maximizing your investment across multiple platforms.
Keep in mind that temporarily working with influencers or freelancers can introduce security risks. After all, you may need to allow access to your social media accounts and data for things to run smoothly. In addition to protecting company secrets with NDAs, businesses should use a password manager for IT teams. This tool allows your IT team to create and share temporary access to social media accounts, monitor account activity, and quickly revoke access if any issues arise.
Build Meaningful Bonds
The word “social” in social media doesn’t just apply to interpersonal communication. Users relish the opportunity for two-way interaction with brands they care about. Capitalize on that by building not just a promotional presence but a community you actively engage with.
Doing so takes on different forms. It might be sharing a post linked to social causes you champion or highlighting user-generated content that sparks discussion and organically boosts your social proof. Don’t hesitate to address customer concerns and offer helpful solutions publicly. Even scathing reviews are excellent opportunities to own up to mistakes and implement improvements, signaling to your followers that you value and respond to their input.
Conclusion
Attention has become a rare and precious resource you need to capture to succeed. In a world of false promises and generic yet persistent chatter, a social media strategy founded on transparency, reciprocity, and value that extends beyond the next sale will let your business thrive.
