Believe it or not, a social media profiles is just as important as having a business strategy.

More consumers are looking at social media to find and evaluate products and businesses. According to one study by Trustpilot, 31% of consumers trust brands more if they have a social media presence. And 20% of consumers check businesses’ social media profiles before deciding to purchase those companies’ products.

With that in mind, you can see how neglecting social media would be a fatal mistake.

Below, I would like to discuss a few reasons why you need a social media presence now more than ever. I have some tips to help you get started and  eventually grow your brand through social media.

Not Having a Social Media Presence Means You Miss Out on Customers

If you’re not on social media, you’re losing part of your intended market. And you will miss out on some free, accessible market research.

For example, look at Facebook. Nearly half — 42% — of all marketers express confidence in Facebook as an essential tool for promoting their businesses.

Why Facebook?

In 2016, there were 1.86 billion monthly users of Facebook. By December 2016, 1.76 billion Facebook users accessed the website via their mobile devices.

While you cannot realistically reach all Facebook users, there is a big enough pool for you to reach more people in your market.

Also consider this: Regular Facebook users tend to share and like posts that interest them. If you manage to convert a visitor, they can turn into a product ambassador and recruit their friends, family, and co-workers.

Additionally, using other networks should be part of your overall brand strategy. For instance, LinkedIn is a must for entrepreneurs.

LinkedIn will help you find potential employees and customers. You can network with other professionals as well and set up future collaborations.

Finally, don’t be afraid to move on from certain platforms. If you don’t feel certain platform is right for your business, it’s better not to waste time on that. But you should have at least one account.

With this in mind, you will need to come up with the right social media strategy.

 

The Right Social Media Strategy Can Expand Your Network

Next, you need to know how to use each platform and decide which networks fit your business.

For starters: Get acquainted with each platform. Research platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Look at how users interact and if similar businesses use each platform with success. For example, see how people use hashtags on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Next, decide if you want to have separate business and personal accounts.

Sometimes, you might want to separate your social media accounts. For example, you can have one Facebook account to talk to clients and followers. At the same time, you will have another account for communicating with your friends and family.

Once you have your business accounts set up, study demographics and peak usage times. For example, from which age groups does users of each platform come from? Do more men or women frequently visits your website?

Armed with this information, you can draw more attention for your business during peak times and tailor your message for the right audience.

When you address other users, tailor your posts to appeal to these audiences. Make sure that you are able to promote the best aspects of your business. Use each platform to refine and unify your voice.

Perform occasional social media audits. Take time to reevaluate old posts and look at the ones that were the most popular. If you can find the right formula, try it as long as it works.

Use Social Media to Build Your Brand

Every time you post on social media, you should keep your brand in mind. These are the steps you should take when you post or expand your social media presence:

First, make sure each account looks professional. Include quality photographs of yourself, your basic business info, and a good logo for your professional accounts. Connect similar accounts across platforms to reach more people, based on their site preferences.

Next, you might want to follow influencers. When you log onto your social media accounts, look closely at the posts of the industry experts and look for opportunities to weigh in.

You should talk to those influencers and gain the attention of their followers. You have to match their tone and remain professional yet approachable and natural.

Gain your own followers and build trust by posting regularly. You can also talk to your followers, preview products, offer giveaways, and get more referrals. Your followers need to know you are engaged and available to answer their questions and address their concerns on social media.

Share a part of yourself.

Your followers want to see you as a human, so you have an opportunity to build even more trust.

While you might not have to tell your whole life story, some details of your life are relatable. Sometimes, you feel the same frustrations your followers feel, so don’t hesitate to share your problems and successes with your audience.

Look at These 3 Examples of Entrepreneurial Success via Social Media

Here are three quick examples on how you can humanize your social accounts:

Keeping Professional Profiles

Neil Patel is a pro at this. By looking at his Facebook and Twitter accounts, you can see how he uses the same professional image across platforms. He also has the same professional-looking picture on his blog.

Engaging with Your Users

Michelle Mangan credits Twitter with creating her business. While she first struggled with the platform, she persisted and finally started directly talking to other users and posting retweets.

Giving Incentives To Your Followers

Dropbox uses social media and incentives to get referrals. Users increase their storage space by referring a friend via mail or social media. Users could get even more storage space by following Dropbox on social media.

Become an Influencer and Share Your Stories on Social Media

Social media is a way to attract prospective customers off-site. But what else can you offer visitors who come to your website?

Start a blog. Write about your experiences and tell  your audience what you are doing and address the issues you faced. This will help others to learn from you.  You should then share your post links to your social accounts.

Establish yourself as an authority. Use your blog to speak about your product, service, and other concerns connected to your business. This builds trust and your readers might want to consider the paid services you have to offer.

But here’s the best part:

Other influencers might view your blog. And if they like what you post, they could give share it with their audience on social media.

Conclusion

Your online reach does not end with your business website. You need a social media presence for your branding and marketing strategy. When you maintain a good social media strategy, you can gain, retain, and convert new customers. So be true to your brand and hit the ground running!

 

Check out Digital Transformation Speaker Erik Qualman to grow your business!