Still wrapping your head around social media in your business? Here are three essentials when it comes to tapping into your market online and leveraging your brand socially.
Choose platforms that support your brand
Platforms that fit your brand will always create better results when it comes to attracting followers and converting sales, and posting on platforms that feel authentic to you will come more easily.
Clothing retailers and fashion brands rely heavily on imagery and therefore Instagram works well for them as there are no limits when it comes to creativity, and can achieve some incredible cut through in the market. Instagram now claims to have more than 400 million users and has expanded its tools to enhance reach and visibility, launching landscape and portrait modes and adding additional search options.
Brands can also add a link in their Instagram bio which allows users to directly shop the products in their feed. Platforms like Instagram can also leverage partnerships and collaborations through cross-marketing a new concept or initiative to each partner’s followers, effectively putting complementary brands in front of new markets.
When it comes to platforms, Google+ can be effective in reaching technology-focused consumers, while LinkedIn is a stronger choice for the business to business (B2B) sector (entrepreneur.com). Facebook will support virtually any brand thanks to a diverse user base which has approximately 1.49 billion monthly active user’s worldwide (statistica.com)
Leverage influencers
It’s hard to build a base of following on your own, especially if you are a start-up. Leveraging influencers is a way to fast-track this. Tagging a well-followed brand or personality on Instagram who chooses to add you to their feed will reach millions of followers.
This not only outreaches traditional print advertising but comes without the exuberant cost of a print ad in a newspaper or glossy magazine. For example, if a fashion start-up tags a celebrity who decides to add the photo to their feed; it will put the brand in front of millions of followers and launch it to the market.
Use the latest technology to create quality content
The best social media marketers are sticklers for quality which means no pixelated photos and using the latest technology in phones and digital SLR cameras – as well as expertise in the information you disseminate to make your message stick.
When it comes to images; poor lighting, positioning, and styling can all break the formula for a widely-shared post and erode the credibility of your brand. Research and follow what the best brands are doing to meet the industry standard. Post topical content and comment, share and repost openly and frequently – you will find other brands will do the same for you.
Want more tips like these? Download our free eBook Five essential tips to building your brand on social media. You will learn how to tap into your market, attract followers and influence them in the social space and which platforms are the best fit for your business.
