Social media websites are where millions of potential customers hang out every day. As a business, look to tap into that power by being active in the same place. By building a relationship with people on social media, you’ll be able to convert them easier to be customers later on.
If you’re not using social media right now, take some time to set up a few critical profiles and start to use them regularly. If you don’t have them already, here are out top five social media profiles that you should be using.
1. Facebook
Facebook is the biggest social media platform, with 1.69 billion worldwide users, at the time of this post. It is used by a large variety of people, from teenagers up to retirees around the world. Facebook has thousands of groups and pages that are built around specific niches, such as favorite bands, activities, or political parties.
The benefit of these targeted groups is that companies can use them to reach potential customers that are more likely to buy. Once you have a presence on Facebook, you can join those groups and interact with those people. Of course, it works best to offer information and advice without hard selling your product. Once you have a relationship, those people will naturally start to trust your company and will be more inclined to buy from you.
On top of that, Facebook has advanced targeting for advertising that lets you show your message to only the people you want. If your product is primarily used by athletes, it is simple to create an ad that is targeted to people who are either athletes or have expressed an interest in athletes.
If we had to pick one social media platform for businesses, Facebook would be at the top of our list. It is easy to use, helps to improve your SEO, and makes it easier for potential customers to find you. If you’re just getting started, use our top tips on using Facebook marketing.
2. Twitter
Next on our list of social media platforms for business is Twitter. Twitter is one of the power social media platforms with 145 million daily active users. It allows users to post short tweets and grow a following of people interested in your content.
You can also use it to interact with other people by following them, retweeting them, and commenting on their tweets. As you engage more with people within your community, you will build stronger relationships and help to influence their future purchasing behavior.
Twitter and Facebook are both great platforms to share your recent blog posts and other unique content. After you share helpful content, continue to interact with other people to build your following and give away more than you take. Over time, that strategy will help to win you more business.
3. Instagram
Instagram is a social media platform that is owned by Facebook but functions a little differently. Instead of being able to post articles and a variety of content, Instagram is focused on pictures and videos. This means that it is primarily a visual platform and you need to have compelling images to be effective.
Similar to the other social media platforms, Instagram allows you to build a following and get people to regularly see your content. This helps to give you the power to be able to reach out at any time when you want to push a promotion.
To be successful with Instagram, you’ll need to regularly post intriguing pictures and short videos that people enjoy. Companies that have visually compelling products or services will naturally do well on Instagram, but other companies can get creative. Think about what you might be interested in seeing yourself and then apply that to your own social media strategy.
4. YouTube
Another great social media platform for business is YouTube. YouTube is a 100% video content platform and is the original video website. It allows businesses to host their videos for free and then embed them in their website or on other blogs. In addition to the video hosting benefits, you can build a community on YouTube based around your videos.
With over 2 billion monthly active users, YouTube is a place where people go to find entertainment and education. It is a great platform to use to your advantage if you have video content that can be posted and shared online. Videos are also a good way to help improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and organically get more visitors.
The top YouTube channels get millions of monthly views and have hundreds of thousands of followers who have expressed an interest in their videos. They are successful because they post engaging videos that are either funny, entertaining, or provide educational content. As a business, if you can fill one of these niches, you could generate positive publicity for your brand and send more visitors to your website.
5. LinkedIn
Serious companies should all have a LinkedIn profile and be active on the platform. LinkedIn is geared towards professionals looking connect with business mindset. For most users on LinkedIn, it serves as a resume and personal advertisement. Recruiters use it to find potential candidates and companies can search for new employees.
As a company, being active on LinkedIn serves several purposes. It helps with your SEO and provides another place to give you visibility online. Have your employees join you on LinkedIn so you can foster a positive workplace and get feedback on what can be improved. It will also help you to recruit top candidates that will help your company grow in general.
In addition to the business benefits, it is possible to generate new leads and prospective customers, when used correctly. You can build relationships with people needing your services and then reach out to them to convert them. In this way, LinkedIn is powerful in both optimizing your internal operations and growing your customer base.
Build Your Social Media Following
If you don’t already have these social media profiles set up, take a few hours to sign up for each one. Get to know how they work and see how people interact with the content on each one. Although they all function a little differently, each platform works similarly. They serve to build a community and get people to engage with each other.
Once you understand what people want from the platform, give them what they want. Then, build a true relationship with your followers.
Growing a social media following takes time but can serve as an invaluable way to generate leads and make sales. Getting more followers starts with creating an attractive profile complete with your logo, company information, and branded images to stay consistent with your website. Add unique content that is interactive and valuable at regular intervals. And don’t forget to interact with other people in your communities.
When you first launch, don’t forget to invite your friends, family, and previous customers to your social media page. You can also use paid advertisements to get more interactions, but be sure you know what you’re doing before jumping in. Over time, your social media base will grow and your leads and sales will grow, as well.
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VIO Media Group is comprised of experienced marketing executives who are passionate about helping companies grow their revenue, increase their customer base, and retain existing customers. Use our business growth checklist to start building a growth strategy that works for you. For more tips and articles, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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