Are you able to get noticed by your target users on social media?
Do you want to make your presence felt on the major social networking platforms?
Increasing your social media presence can be highly beneficial to your overall online marketing efforts. When more of your target audience recognizes you, they’ll not only follow you, but will also share your content and help you get the most out of your social media marketing.
In this article, we’ll look into 19 effective strategies that you can apply today to take your social media presence to the next level.
#1: Appeal to Different Types of Social Media Users
Each of us uses social media differently. Which is why it makes sense to customize your content for different social media users to build a real presence.
In order to learn more about the types of social media users or personalities, Loyalty-management firm Aimia created a segmentation framework. This particular framework takes two important factors into consideration — trust and control.
The goal of the Aimia framework is to give an understanding of six major social media personality types:
- No Shows (41%): Possible 65+ males who haven’t signed into a social network in the last 30 days. Show low degree of trust along with low level of interest in sharing their activities with others.
- Newcomers (15%): Passive users of one particular social network (such as Facebook). Join primarily to keep up with others and to maintain offline relationships.
- Onlookers (16%): Are present on a number of social networks but hardly post anything. Use social media to keep a tab on others in their network but avoid sharing much information about themselves.
- Cliquers (6%): Single-network users, mostly comprising of women, who gather on Facebook to share everything from photos to status updates. Active only in their own close-knit circle of friends/family.
- Mix-n-Minglers (19%): Active and influential on multiple social networking sites. Like to stay updated with the latest news and follow/engage with their favorite brands online.
- Sparks (3%): Highly engaged in their social media activity. Like to express themselves through various platforms. Compared to other five types, have the most open, approachable and transparent networks.
By tailoring your content to the different social media personalities, you can increase the likelihood of getting your post shared across popular networks. Try to study and understand your social following better and see what type of users it is made up of.
#2: Know Where Your Target Audience Hangs Out
Every social network is unique and has a personality of its own — depending on how it is being used. To get more social shares for your post, it’s important know each social network and how your target audience might be using it.
Image courtesy: Avalaunch Media
According to a recent report released by Business Insider on the demographics of social network users:
- LinkedIn is where the “white-collar”, highly educated and well-paid professionals network.
- Twitter is mainly seen by its users as a source for news.
- Facebook comprises of a younger audience, which makes it ‘the’ place to promote fast-moving consumer goods rather than anything expensive.
- Pinterest is where users post content mostly related to food/drink and family/parenting.
- Instagram is majorly made up of females in the 18-44 age group, where clothing, accessories and entertainment related content works well.
With an array of social networks to choose from, things can get confusing. But when you know your target audience well enough, you’ll immediately know which social media platform to target.
#3: Make Your Messaging Positive
In an insightful Facebook study, researchers found that positive emotions were more contagious than negative ones.
They learned that negative posts lead to an average of 1.29 more negative posts from their friends, while positive posts lead to about 1.75 more positive posts.
This goes on to show that emotions shared on online social networks, especially positive ones, can be contagious. So by injecting more positivity into your social content, you can increase your shares and improve your reach to a great extent.
#4: Listen, Listen & Listen Some More
It’s easy to commit the classic social media mistake of making your content all about you. Yes, people in your network want to hear from you, but at the same time they also want you to listen to them.
When you listen to your audience, you’ll know what type of content they want to read. This allows you to create blog posts that not only get liked by your readers, but also get shared across various social networks.
Making your followers feel “at home” and giving priority to their priorities should be on top of your list. Whether it is by sharing super-useful content or or by simply reading what they’re writing — anything you do must help you connect to your followers and understand them better. So that you can give them the value they deserve.
Back in 2013, Chris Brogan conducted an experiment to find out how brands, media, celebrities and the public at large use Twitter. This is what he learned.
“Three of the four groups were missing several opportunities to improve relationships and thus potential business with the people they served. In lots of cases, I’m pretty sure people didn’t even think about their use of the social network as an opportunity to serve a community. Instead, they used it like a bullhorn, whether or not anyone was paying attention.”
The takeaway? Instead of applying the bullhorn approach and using social media as a hardcore promotional tool, think of it as a way to interact, learn and give back to your community. Have real conversations. That’s how you grow your social shares the smart way.
#5: Make Your Followers Feel Special
If there’s one thing that goes a long way when it comes to social media, then it is how you make your followers feel. The more exclusive or privileged they feel to be a part of your network, the better.
Research shows that 58% of Facebook users expect to receive exclusive offers from business pages. If people feel like they are getting real value out of following you or if they would miss out on special offers/incentives if they don’t, they’ll make sure to participate and stick around. Your social media presence should not only be inviting, but also a must-follow.
#6: Post Regularly Without Fail
How often should you post on social media? What time or day is best for it?
The truth is, there is no perfect answer to the above questions. You’ll have to test everything to see what works for you. Right from the frequency of your posts to the time and day. However, one thing is certain: posting regularly does increase your chances of getting seen by more of your followers.
When you’re consistent in your approach, people start to recognize your brand and feel more comfortable interacting with it (sharing, liking, etc). In fact, when Socialbakers analyzed popular Facebook pages they found that even the most successful brands such as iTunes and Red Bull post at least once a day.
Image courtesy: Social Bakers
#7: Build Relationships Not Sales
One of the untapped benefits of social media is it lets you build a rock solid relationship with your target audience. Even though it gives you access to people who may be interested your product/service, it doesn’t mean you try to sell them. Instead, focus on giving value and winning their trust first so that they’re open to buying from you in future.
According to Gallup’s State of the American Consumer study:
“Social media sites are highly personal and conversational… consumers who use these sites do not want to hear sales pitches… This content should be original to the company and not related to sales or marketing.”
Most of the respondents in the Gallup’s State of the American Consumer study reported that social media has zero influence on their purchasing decisions.
Remember, people log into their social media accounts to connect to each other, not get bombarded with sales pitches. In other words, social media is not the right channel to sell your product/service. It’s where you get to touch other people’s lives in a positive way and build your brand.
#8: Use Hashtags Strategically
Hashtags are no longer limited Twitter. Every major social network including Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ now allows hashtags to help users categorize their social shares.
When used the right way, hashtags can help a great deal in increasing your social media presence. Whether it’s discovering relevant conversations to join or finding people to follow, hashtags make it easy.
There are a number of benefits of using hashtags strategically. They can help you:
- Expand your reach
- Gain more followers
- Improve your reputation
- Brand your presence
- Promote something special
To get a better response, test out different hashtags and measure your results.
#9: Be Authentic
Above all else your tribe want to know the real you, take direction from industry leaders then create your own voice. Standing out in a crowded space is not always an easy task, being authentic and remaining consistent will always resonate in a positive manner.