So, you’re looking at growing your social media presence. Good for you! Jumping on the socials isn’t as simple as posting a few pictures of yourself and then abandoning ship for the next month…no, no, it’s grown far bigger than that now, especially when you look at the mass of social media companies who manage the accounts for businesses – yep, us included. Social media has evolved rapidly in the last 15 years with the launch of Facebook where you could post about what you ate for lunch, to Instagram where you could take a photo before you ate, then to Twitter where you complained about what you ate. Nowadays, there is a veritable selection of social media platforms to choose from, each with specific attributes that make them irresistible to certain age groups (we’re thinking TikTok and Mums during the pandemic.) Age groups aside, starting a new social media campaign can be daunting so here are 5 tips to get you moving in the right direction.
- Create a Campaign.
Why are you doing this? No, not reading this blog – why are you signing up to social media in the first place? Is it to present information to current clients, do you want to spread your wings and grow your audience, have some creations you’d like to share or maybe you have something you’d like to sell? Whatever the purpose, make sure you decide on why you are doing this before you start posting. There is nothing worse than a professional account cluttered with personal pictures. I mean, Karen, that’s great you love animals but aren’t you selling macrame coasters?
Add posts that will interest your followers – for example: behind the scenes, new creations, new products, profiling staff, tips & even reposting memes. Gauge your audience and create appropriate content for them. Ask yourself, ‘If I was a customer, what would I want to know about MY business?’
- Invest in a Social Media Management Tool.
Yes, they can be pricey but think of the time you can save when you create a multitude of posts and schedule them in advance. Link up your social media accounts to post all of them at the same time rather than individually uploading pictures, creating captions and posting to each app individually. We trialled a few (paid and unpaid) and Hootsuite is the easiest and most effective to use. Only downside is that you can only schedule one image to post to Instagram so if you want to carousel then you’ll need to do that manually through the app.
- Create with Canva.
Graphic designers are expensive. Canva is not. In fact, you can create your own amazing posts using this app for free! There are plenty of templates, images and videos to keep you going for a lifetime. Alternatively, if you feel like it, there is also a paid option that gives you access to a heap of other content that cannot be accessed in the free version. It is very novice friendly and easy to navigate which makes it a great base for beginners. If you’re slightly more technical there is always Photoshop as well.
- Do Some Stealth Social Investigation.
Check out what your competitors are doing and keep your hand on the pulse of your industry. By investigating your direct competitors you can determine what works and what doesn’t. We aren’t suggesting you copy everything that they do, please don’t, use what you see as inspiration for what you can create and achieve. What does their content look like? Do their followers engage more with videos or images? When are they posting their content? What is the demographic/age range of their followers?
As tempting as it is to buy followers, red flags instantly go up with the social platform and your audience. While your base grows, the engagement will not. Why buy followers who won’t follow your journey, watch your stories or buy what you are selling? Better to have fewer followers who are truly interested in what you do than a mass who will never engage or show enthusiasm for your brand..
- Engage a Social Media Strategist.
Hello, hi, that’s us! Well you didn’t think we’d create this blog without one purpose in mind, did you? Let us do the hard work for you. We can create posts, monitor their success and assist you in growing your audience. Afterall, according to Mick Eckstein from Team Buffer, “Without engagement, social media is just media.” He goes on to explain that people use social platforms to seek connections and engage with people and brands of a similar mindset. As a small business you can use social media to your advantage by increasing awareness of your brand. Engaging a company to grow your socials takes all of the hard work out of your hands so you can sit back and reap the rewards of a blossoming network of followers and potential customers.
There you have it. 5 ways to grow your socials. Honestly, we could go on about this all day but now it’s up to you. Is this something you can spend at least 2 hours a week on? Not including answering DMs, gathering content ideas, editing/uploading videos and engaging with followers to increase your viewership. Social media is an untapped goldmine for many people. Your audience is there waiting for you! All you need to do is create the content they want to see and they will come following…
