If you’re a budding entrepreneur who hasn’t started using social media as a marketing tool for your business, it’s time to join the thousands of others who already do.
Below we provide some top tips on how you can use social media to grow your business and delight your customers in the process.
Increase your reach
Before social media, traditional marketing was the only option people had to market their business. Using the likes of television ads, magazines, radio, newspapers, etc. to spread awareness and get their message out there.
But then social media exploded onto the scene and completely changed the game. Providing brands with the opportunity to reach and sell to unique target audiences based on the types of products or services being offered.
In addition, social media analytics made it possible to hyper-target customers and narrow down audience demographics. In fact, to such an extent that it’s now relatively easy to see what types of products and services your target audience buys, and where they engage the most on your brand’s social posts.
Once you pinpoint your target audience, find out where they’re most active. For example, older people generally spend more time on Facebook, while Instagram users are under the age of 34. Twitter caters to a younger demographic with 38% of Twitter users being between the ages of 18-29 and TikTok has become the biggest social network for Gen Zs.
With this revolutionary data, businesses are able to analyse where best to focus their efforts and learn how to make adjustments to campaigns that successfully resonate with their target audiences.
Effectively network
Networking on social media is both cost-efficient and effective. Offering another way for businesses to expand online. From Facebook groups that allow you to comment and post about your business to webinars that make use of cross-promoting like-minded companies in your industry.
Social media allows for different ways to connect with people all over the world. You can appear as a guest on someone’s podcast, get featured in a blog post or drive cross-promotional giveaways through branded partnerships. By collaborating with different brands via social media, you are able to open doors faster than you usually would.
Take this radio interview that we did on Durban Youth Radio for instance.
Having a presence on social media assists in building trust with both your potential and current audience, while boosting sales and improving your brand’s visibility. And, if implemented properly, a social media presence can amplify connections and opportunities.
Here are a few ways that you can use social media to accelerate your business’s growth.
Have consistent branding
A consistent brand identity for your business is crucial.
Branded content for your business not only helps your audience recognise your brand every time they see you on social media, it also helps connect your company’s message and values to the products and services you offer.
Every business should at least have:
- A company logo
- A slogan and a mission statement
These are the absolute basics.
When creating branded content for social media, post regularly and provide a way for customers to engage with your business in real-time. By doing this, you’ll increase brand awareness and create trust.
Manage your reputation
Being able to skillfully manage your brand’s reputation on social media is one of the many reasons customers even consider, and then choose to remain loyal to, your brand.
That’s why, as a business, it’s crucial to respond politely and timeously to questions or complaints, remembering to always remain professional. This can go a long way in establishing trust and maintaining credibility with your audience.
You can also use positive testimonials to create further trust and magnify what your company stands for.
If you want to maintain a high level of customer service, hiring a team of community managers who respond in the comments and if need be in DMs (Direct Messages) is a good idea.
It also helps a great deal to respond to and resolve any negative comments in real time as far as possible.
Provide value
Your audience doesn’t want advertisements constantly crammed down their throats. In fact, 43% of customers claim that the main reason for unfollowing brands on social media is due to the number of pushy ads posted. Instead, focus on providing as much value as possible by educating and entertaining your followers.
The more you nurture, educate and entertain your audience the more you reinforce your business as a thought leader, which encourages more demand for your products and services.
When it comes to entertaining your audience, think outside of the box, participate in trends, showcase how your product or service can be used in weird and interesting ways and use humour to support your posts.
Conclusion
Using social media to grow your business isn’t as easy as one might think. But, if you stick to the strategies we listed above you’ll be well on your way to engaging your audience and more than likely making more sales and producing loyal customers.
