Social media is everywhere. It has become a daily ritual for most people. Indeed, I bet that as soon as you wake up, many of you immediately go to your favourite platform and have a scroll or check your notifications. To give some data to back this statement, it’s estimated that there are 5+ billion active social media user identities!1
As a business, you cannot ignore that type of potential traffic and I want to help you improve your social media standing. Below, I’ve used my knowledge and previous client experience to bring you 8 social media marketing strategies that can yield real results – enjoy!
1. Be an Engager, not a Broadcaster – Use the Interactive Tools Social Media Provides
There are two types of businesses on social media – engagers and broadcaster.
The broadcaster simply posts on their various social media platforms and never does anything else. They don’t like any posts. They don’t reply to customer engagement. They just create more posts.
In contrast, the engager replies to every comment, likes every engagement, adds value and takes the time to interact with their followers.
Which do you think yields the best results? The engager of course! Part of being successful on social media is utilising the built-in interactivity. You can’t expect to get great results and build your audience if you just post content.
A good way to think about it is like this: although your audience probably doesn’t pay monetarily for your content, they do pay with their time! Therefore, providing insightful value in your content rather than just selling will go a long way in growing your audience and keeping them engaged.
If people take the time to interact with you and offer engagement, make sure you do the same back! Firstly, it improves the activity of your social media profile which is always good for the algorithm. Secondly, it shows that you care and that you value your customers which ultimately benefits your reputation.
2. Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin – Not Every Platform is Right for Every Business
I get that it seems like a wonderful idea to have a presence on every social media platform. But let’s face it, it’s not practical nor wise. Just think of the most popular social media platforms you could try and conquer:
- X (formerly known as Twitter)
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Snapchat
- Telegram
They are just the most popular options! You’ve then got more obscure sites like Reddit, Twitch, Discord, Tumblr, and Quora that all have high MAUs (Monthly Active Users).
If you try and stay active on every platform several things typically happen. First, you spread yourself too thing and become disenchanted. Secondly, you fail to balance the platforms equally and it turns into a mess. Thirdly, because you are spread so thin, the quality and consistency of your posts ultimately declines.
Instead of being the jack of all social media platforms, be the master of one. Start by promoting your business one of the most popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, or X. Once you have established yourself on that platform, perhaps then consider widening your reach.
3. Quality AND Quantity – More is Better, but the More Must Offer Real Value
I see plenty of businesses churning out daily social media posts on multiple platforms and from the outside this looks fantastic. However, when you take a step closer and analyse the content, you’ll usually notice that 90% of the posts are filler or have no real value.
This is where simply aiming for quantity starts to yield negative results. People don’t care if you post 20 social media posts per day if they are all worthless or provide them useful.
On the other hand, I’ve also witnessed businesses creating amazing social media posts, but they are so infrequent that their impact is minimal.
Therefore, one of the top social media strategies is to create QUALITY content in large QUANTITIES. The emphasis should first be on quality. Make sure your posts are entertaining, interesting, and offer something tangible to your audience.
Once you have mastered the quality, you can look to increase the quantity to boost your exposure and reputation.
4. Know Your Customers – Tailor Your Posts to Suit Your Target Demographic
As with any type of marketing, your social media posts must match your target demographic. This is one of the basics of marketing. For example, would you use slang and Gen Z phrases in your social media posts if your audience is 95% over 50s?
Of course not. In this instance, if you used phrases like glow up, finna, drip, and flex, 99% of your older audience isn’t going to have a clue what you are on about and there will be a serious disconnect. This could ultimately lead to a downturn in views and engagements.
Your language, tone, and imagery must be reflective of your target customer. This all starts with customer research. Learn important demographics such as age, gender, and income, and tailor your social media content to suit.
5. Let Your Customers Give Value Through UGC
UGC (User Generated Content) is amazing on so many levels and it’s invaluable for your social media strategies. You’re effectively letting your customers do the work for you! This means cost-effective marketing, but also increased engagement and traffic on social media.
Examples of popular UGC for social media marketing includes:
- Hashtags
- Competitions
- Sharing of user content
Creating hashtags is a simple way to encourage engagement. They could coincide with new product releases, public events, or marketing campaigns, for example. Promoting them on your website and social media platforms generates interest and gets people talking about your brand.
Competitions are also fantastic as they generate interest and people are more likely to take part if they can win something. You can also be cunning with competition entry requirements. For example, to enter a competition, customers have to like and follow your Facebook account, and share the post with 10 other people.
Lastly, showing interest in your customer’s social media content is a great way to show the human side of your business and build your reputation. This could be sharing customer’s posts or liking their content, for example.
6. Make Your Business On-Trend – Engage in Trending Topics
Perhaps you’ve seen the trending topics pages on X and YouTube? Or noticed that oftentimes 90% of tweets and social media posts you see appear to relate to a trending subject?
This isn’t coincidence. Things trend incredibly quickly on social media due to the fast-paced nature of the platforms and their accessibility. The platforms themselves cater to trends too with things like trending topics and hashtags.
You can benefit from this and get involved with trending topics. The key is to act quick and make sure your posts go live during the height of the trend. Also, make sure that you actually understand what’s going off, and consider the ethics of the trending subject.
For example, oftentimes trending topics involve war, global unrest, or public scandals. You have to be especially careful as choosing to jump in on the wrong trend could negatively impact your reputation and create a PR disaster.
7. Analytics Are Your Friend – Base Your Social Media Plans on Data
There is an infinite wealth of data and key social media metrics at your disposal. Simply put, use them! Instead of working blindly and basing your social media strategies on gut feeling or guesswork, use analytical data to make educated choices. For example, you can find data on:
- Most active hours on different platforms.
- Best times to post.
- Age and gender demographics.
- Industry-related demographics.
You can use this information to:
- Concentrate your efforts on the right platforms.
- Schedule your posts for the best days and times.
- Tailor your content to the most prevalent audiences on a platform.
Platforms like Buffer and Hootsuite offer metrics like the above plus a wealth of other useful data. You could also consider contacting us to benefit from our extensive social media knowledge and the insights we leverage.
8. Don’t be a Part-Time Poster – Consistency is Important
Building on tip 3, quantity must be taken one step further. You must be consistent too. Don’t expect to build your social media following if you post three times a week on Instagram for one month, but then don’t post for two months.
It doesn’t work like that. You must be consistent for prolonged periods to remain relevant and keep that traffic flowing towards your website and business.
We can help with this by creating a social media marketing strategy and advising on things like post ideas and frequency. There is also a range of fantastic tools available you can use to schedule posts and somewhat automate your social media.
Buffer is one of the best-known platforms and it contains a range of publishing tools that allow you to easily remain consistent with your social media posts.
Become a Scrolling Superstar with These 8 Social Media Strategies
When done properly, social media marketing can be potent. It’s free to do, cost-effective, and the potential reach and scope can be huge.
By using the above tips to improve your social media marketing strategies I’ve listed, you can transform your social media empire and grow your audience. This ultimately leads to improved brand awareness, reputation, and customer engagement. These all benefit your business and drive traffic towards your website for increased conversions and ROI.
