Winning in social media looks different for every brand. For some, it means having a huge following. For others, it means partnering with top influencers and creating new product lines together. And for others, it means cultivating a dedicated and actively participating consumer base—one that offers valuable insights and learning opportunities. But no matter what winning means to your brand, it’s no secret that figuring out the social media landscape can be overwhelming and confusing.
It’s true you can’t always crack the algorithms or know what will go viral and what will be a miss. However, that’s no reason to give up hope! There are steps you can take that will enable you to see social media success. Keep reading to discover how to make your business a social media darling.
1. Be Consistent and Thorough
In order for your audience to recognize and follow your brand, you need to be consistent. There are two parts when it comes to consistency: showing up regularly and being unwavering in tone and voice. Showing up regularly is something that followers will start to anticipate from you. This is where having an up-to-date social media calendar can be beneficial. And thanks to new social media tools for business, you can schedule posts in advance using AI-generated content to help boost engagement.
From a tone and voice perspective, being consistent means using the same type of language in a predictable way. New followers should be able to scroll through your feed and get a sense of your brand’s voice. A consistent message reinforces your brand’s values, strengthening the connections you form amongst your target audience. The tone should resonate most with your core demographic, so think about how your followers speak amongst their peers. By communicating in a way that they are familiar with, you’re demonstrating your relevancy.
2. Actively Engage
One of the best things about social media is its power to bring people together. In a divided world, this means connecting with others from across the globe. And while social media is somewhat to blame for cancel culture and the rise of political unrest, consumers today are hopeful. Recent research from Sprout Social found that 91% of people believe social media can help make connections; moreover, 78% are looking for brands to use social media to bring them together.
Social media is arguably the easiest place for brands to form genuine connections with their customers today. These connections show that you care about your followers and want to start a dialogue with them. If an individual tags you in a story mentioning one of your products, reshare it on the brand’s Instagram Stories. When someone comments on your latest post, respond to their comment — especially if they are asking a question. These acts may seem small, but they can go far in terms of being seen as an attentive brand.
3. Be Authentic
Tied to engagement is being authentic. Social media users can see right through a person or brand that is fake. If you support one thing today and the opposite tomorrow, you aren’t truly being yourself. Doing so reflects poorly on your brand, potentially creating skepticism in the market. Being authentic looks like humanizing your posts, keeping scheduled posts to a minimum, and showing up more in real time.
It can also look like showing more behind-the-scenes posts. Consumers like to see how the sausage is made, meaning what goes on to get a product into their hands. If you’re shooting a new campaign, show them what this entails on social. If your founder is willing to show up on your brand’s social handles, allow them to take over for a day. This level of insight allows you to establish brand loyalty with your consumers.
4. Collaborate
Better together is a strategy that works well on social media. Collaborating with other like-minded brands can boost brand awareness while simultaneously increasing your following. Brand collaboration occurs when at least two brands join together as part of a campaign strategy. As your brand evolves, your audiences evolve too. Working with other brands will help broaden the reach of your consumer base.
When collaborating with another brand, think about who is similar but offers different products or services. You don’t want to collaborate with a competitor; rather, find a similarly-sized brand that will generate buzz and lure audiences toward the partnership. For example, lifestyle brand Joybird partnered with paint brand Sherwin-Williams to create a new colorful collection of home furnishings. This was a successful collaboration as both brands have similarly-minded audiences interested in home renovations and decor, but they aren’t selling the same products. Social media posts focused on how redecorating doesn’t need to be stressful when you have the decor and paint to match.
Takeaways
Every brand has its own unique goals, which come with its own set of unique challenges. A social tactic that works one day may not work the next. That said, by following these four tips, you are well on your way to showing up as a brand that your target audience wants to engage with. Be patient, think through your strategy, and don’t be afraid to take some risks in order to differentiate yourselves in the vast social world.
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