Social media has become the preferred method of reaching out to customers and building brand awareness, since so many consumers get their information from platforms like Facebook and Twitter. However, setting up a social media profile is only the first step in any social media marketing campaign. Unless a business actively works each month to add new followers, only those customers who already know about that business will see its messages.
By now, social media has been around so long, marketers have learned techniques to win new followers. By adding these tips to their social media efforts, marketers can boost the number of high-quality followers who see the messages they post.
Be Less Selfish
A study of social media use from Stanford University identified two types of users, “informers” and “meformers.” Informers spend the majority of their social media time sharing information and interacting with others on these sites. Meformers focus their efforts on self-promotion. Although informers have twice the followers of meformers, 80 percent of social media users are meformers. Unfortunately, by missing the importance of sharing useful content with their followers, meformers are unlikely to build the following they need to make a real impact.
Be a Follower
Many experts agree that the best way to get more followers is to follow like-minded accounts on various social media platforms. Some of them will automatically follow back. Businesses should make an effort to interact with those they follow, reposting their content and congratulating them on any accomplishments.
Use Hashtags
One way to meet new people on Twitter and Instagram is to communicate using the most popular hashtags at a given time. If a hashtag is trending, the likelihood that people are browsing what other people are saying on that topic is higher, especially if the hashtag relates to a major event.
Add Sharing Buttons
Brands should take every opportunity to cross-promote their social media on every marketing channel they have. Videos, blog posts, and articles should always give customers the opportunity to share to their own social media accounts with just one click. Share buttons are easy to add and have been found to substantially increase mentions on Twitter.
Provide Sharable Tips
To go beyond existing social media followers, brands must post content that customers find interesting enough to share. While there is no shortage of competition in this area, businesses can set themselves apart by sharing their own knowledge or expertise in the form of tips and advice. When consumers find something interesting, they’ll see that business as an expert and be more likely to seek more information.
Time Posts Carefully
Frequency of posts is a popular issue with social media marketers. While experts recommend posting consistently, high volumes of posts at once can lead to unfollows. According to research from SumAll, engagement begins to drop off after a small number of daily posts. A social media scheduling tools will help brands space posts out to be consistent without overdoing it.
Tell a Story
Customers are more interested in hearing brand stories than reading ads for products. Realizing this, smart marketers are encouraging customers to share stories of their own interactions with products and services. The key to successful social media storytelling is to listen to customers and provide the information they’re most likely to want.
Join Groups
A great way for brands to find like-minded social media users is to join an event where other industry professionals will be interacting. On Facebook, this happens in the form of Groups and Events, which serve as great ways to network and share ideas. Twitter does this through Chats, which are created by adding a designated hashtag at a designated time. Participating in these will often help professionals connect with others in their industries.
Social media is a great way to build brand recognition, but it only works if a business continues to increase its reach. Using these tips, professionals can continue to add new people to their networks and ensure people are reading when they post new content.
from Darlene Milligan http://ift.tt/1po5l4N via transformational marketing
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1TP0BCr
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