This can be one of the most challenging tasks for a business, especially a new startup company. The key thing to remember is that it takes time and it is always better having quality over quantity.
Social media can effectively make or break a business and if not already, it should be seen as a major revenue channel, especially if you actually sell physical products that can be ordered online.
One of the first steps of building out a social media presence involves having effective branding that your audience can resonate with. This all starts with a logo that will be used as your social media icon; having this in place will help to build recognition and a foundation of trust with any potential customers.
Start firstly by building your social media following with ‘brand ambassadors’; these being family and friends who will be more likely to firstly ‘like’ your business page – the more the better. The more organic likes that a business page has, the more credible it will seem to any new potential followers.
This is due to the fact that in order to get a lot of likes of a page quickly, some savvy businesses ‘pay’ for likes. What this means is that they will use the ‘promote’ button on their page which sends this out as an ‘advert’ into people’s Facebook newsfeeds.
Usually, they will target geographical regions like the Philippines and Indonesia where a lot of likes can be gained quickly and cheaply. If this tactic was targeted to more westernised countries, the volume of likes would be much lower and more expensive.
That is why, it is always best for a business or brand which aims to build a good thing, to focus on growing gradually, which is why it is recommended to have your personal network following your page initially.
It is also a great litmus test. If family and friends are automatic fans, then you can be confident that you have a great product and/or service and will support and help you along your journey. This, is priceless.
They are your best form of PR and are invaluable to your growth. At this point, this is where a lot of businesses go wrong. Too eager to sell, businesses focus on spamming their products and services to their audience, which is a great way to turn off potential customers.
The correct strategy is to create and/or share great content. Content which is relevant to your audience and/or potential customers. The whole point of this is ensuring that you are able to position your brand as an authority in the eyes of any potential customer.
By producing quality, informative content you considerably increase your chances of starting to build a reliable sales pipeline. According to the Demand Gen Report in 2016, 47 percent of buyers view at least three to five pieces of content before deciding to engage in the sales process.
Great content also gets shared, liked and even re-published if other media companies notice it and want to give your credit for it.
Videos, especially informational videos are a great form of content to share with your network, particularly if it is branded.
Also, there are other initiatives that companies can take to boost their social media following. Incentives such as competitions are a great way of generating a buzz around your business and can significantly increase your fans.
Snizl’s advanced platform allows businesses to easily create competitions that quickly generate entries and be shared on social media with the click of one button. The true beauty of this is that Snizl offers your entrants another chance to enter if they share their competition to their social media network.
The benefits of this is that your brand presence expands considerably, while your entrant boosts their chances of winning your competition. Want to know more? You can get a free non obligation month’s trial to find out how your business can benefit from Snizl’s powerful platform.