Almost every brand wants a massive following on social media. It’s just a simple truth, especially with how inexpensive and efficient social media can be to driving sales. However, with how competitive this space can be, getting to building that audience is no easy task.
While it’s going to require a fair amount of studying up on both the basics and current trends, mastering social media to gain sales can be done. In fact, the goal here isn’t necessarily to just build a massive following, but a loyal one. Which, is precisely what I’m going to walk you through how to do. Check it out below:
Analyze Your Engagement Metrics
One of the first steps you should take when approaching social media is knowing who your audience is, and how to approach them. Not only will this give you a good grasp on where your current customers lie along this spectrum but how you can expand into breaching new segments you may have not thought of. However, before you can start tackling all of that, you first must look at your metrics to success. And one of the best ways to gauge that is with engagement.
According to the Digital Marketing Association, 56% of brands use engagement metrics to measure their success on social media, making it one of the most popular methodologies out. The biggest reason that engagement is so widely accepted as a barometer is that it maximizes your extended output. For example, if someone “likes” or comments on a Facebook post, then those who are friends with the poster will see their engagement in their feed.
Once you’re up and running, try running some tests to see what type of posts get the most feedback. For example, see if posting a question or thought is more advantageous, or even something like a “behind the scenes” look at your company. Whatever the case may be, use this as a trial and error period to know what works before you really dive into expanding your audience.
Focus on a Couple of Platforms at a Time
After you’ve established who you’re going to reach out to and why, it’s time to start building a plan to gain a following. A significant aspect to this requires knowing what platforms your audience engages on the most, as well as how to get them to start interacting with your brand. Make no mistake, this is a process that’s going to be somewhat tedious and require a fair amount of trial and error. However, once your base is established, it’ll be tremendously easier to start building from there.
When gaining a grasp of best practices, try looking at what platforms you’re already using in your day-to-day. As you’re partly a reflection of your brand, this will only give you a better picture of what popular trends are being used right now, as well as how you can hop on. Additionally, try looking at Facebook marketing templates, as well as follow blogs on the specific platforms you’re working to build on. And finally, pick a few brands that you feel are doing social media the right way (regardless if they’re in your industry or not), as this will help you form the “why” in your strategy.
Once you have the “why,” it’s important to hone in on that message with your test posts. Try to focus on constructing a consistent voice that resonates across different channels, and is a continuous reflection of your brand. In fact, it might not be a bad idea to invest in some metric tracking to fully gain a grasp on where you can improve.
Analyze Use Cases
When getting better with social media, use cases are going to be your best friend. After all, a lot of these are essentially other companies formulas for success, and something to mindful of as you expand into different platforms. For example, according to Hootsuite, an estimated 70.7% of brands are on Instagram, which is a significant pool to pull from when looking for inspiration. I’ll note that this goes well-beyond just your industry, but how you can resource from a multitude of campaigns.
A great use case of this is with the movie industry, which has mastered the art of the rollout campaign. For example, take a look at the film People You May Know, which takes a captivating tale and puts a popular phrasing behind it’s messaging. This encourages users to ask questions and examine further, which then increases shares. Overall, glancing at the commonalities between other campaigns in yours will help you formulate a strategy that’s based on previous success.
Provide Stellar Customer Service
Finally, an underrated element of any social media interaction is how well the customer service experience goes. Honestly, when coming up with a plan to get more traffic in, a lot of companies overlook how they’ll respond to customer complaints or questions on their page, and a proper procedure to both making yourself look good as well as keeping the customer happy. Because as noted by Love Prom, one of the most imperative elements of any online business is the customer experience. And if you’re looking to be a rockstar on social media, then I highly suggest you study up on how you can make your customer service experience pristine too.
First and foremost, always respond to any complaint or feedback you get as soon as possible. Additionally, it’s always good to use discretion on what type of interaction should be handled privately or can be cleared up right then and there.
What are some ways you’ve been improving your brand’s social media? Comment with your answers below!
