How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Company
As a business owner, you know how difficult it can be to promote your company online with social media. Luckily, there are a few specific ways to help you get started on your journey. Knowing how to use social media to promote your company online doesn’t take an advanced degree.
Let’s get started by looking at five key parts of your social media strategy. Frequency, purpose, personalization, persistence, and vigilance. Then, we’ll discuss who you really should be posting for.
How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Company On the Web
Take these 4 steps and make them a habit.
1. Post Frequently & Consistently
Make a serious commitment to posting content on social media regularly. If you’re a beginner or if social media is “taboo,” we suggest beginning with one platform to start with. Once you gain comfort, you can branch out to several other networks. Carve out time each week to research, brainstorm, and create posts for your platforms. Then, stick to it.
2. Post Purposefully
Before publishing any posts, take time to think about your goals for your new platform. Create a strategy to pull your audience in. Ask yourself, “Who am I?” “What is my company here to accomplish?” “What makes us unique?” and “Why should people follow my business page?” Answer these questions in a bio and/or a welcome post.
3. Post Personally
Another important question to ask yourself is, “Who is my audience?” Running demographic research on your company’s clientele is the best way to figure out what kind of audience to address. Making your content favorable to your audience will affect what you post and what you say in your posts. In addition, it may even affect what time of day you should post for peak interaction! Most social media platforms offer optimal time information based on when your page followers are online.
4. Post Persistently
After you publish your first few posts, you may not see much interaction from the public right away. Don’t be discouraged! Studies have shown that one social media platform can take up to eight months and sometimes even a year to build a loyal audience and develop a rich feed. Keep practicing and learning how to use social media to promote your company better. You’ll want to celebrate even the smallest of successes. Likes, comments, reposts, and mentions are something to be proud of, no matter how slowly they come.
5. Post Vigilantly
Check the activity of your platforms regularly to be in the loop of what is going on. Be on the lookout for "bot accounts” that may comment on your feed or interact with your account. These are computer–created accounts that are made to simulate human activity. You can block these accounts and delete any comments as they may come, as long as you notice them.
Who are You Posting For?
As time goes on and your posts keep rolling out, your audience will grow, and your platforms will flourish. As this happens, remember to engage and communicate rather than just promote. You’re posting for your audience’s benefit. Not yours. Does that seem backward? After all, your company goals are important. However, your followers have different goals. You need to show them how their goals align with yours – and how you can serve them.
This can look like asking your followers for feedback and giving personal replies or even giving your audience incentives to make your account one of their daily habits. In addition, contests, product or service giveaways, and discounts are perfect ways to get your followers excited about checking on your platforms.
Learning how to use social media to promote your company may seem tricky and tedious at first. However, it can pay off over time. Sticking to these strategies for success will build your audience and increase your clientele. And that’s something everyone can celebrate!