HOW TO BUILD A STRONG SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE?

The digital revolution is taking over the world. Everyone is thriving on social media in one way or the other. And there’s no doubt in it that building a strong social media presence is of utmost importance for a strong online presence.

Here are some best practices which will help your social media grow like wildflowers:

1) Post Consistently

It is indispensable for an entity to post content on a regular basis no matter what the social media platform is. Uploading a string of marvelous posts in a matter of few days and then neglecting your account is a thing you should never do. Be consistent and time your posts to maximize engagement. After you give your audience a reason to come back for more, they will definitely want to hear more from you. You can create a content calendar to stay organized.

2) Choose the Right Platform

Professional networks prefer LinkedIn.

Influencers prefer Instagram or Snapchat.

Vloggers prefer YouTube.

With numerous social media platforms, you need to choose the right one to find your sweet spot.

Do some research and pick a platform where your target audience is present. Quality matters more than quantity so maintain and grow on relevant platforms. Here are some of the best platforms and their use:

 Twitter- for fast-paced and ever-changing business field

 Facebook-for advertising, building customer relationships, lead generation

 Pinterest- for image-based content

 YouTube-for video-based content

 LinkedIn-for business-focused persons

For example if you are a photographer, Pinterest or Instagram would be the perfect platforms for you whereas LinkedIn will not be as effective.

3) Be responsive

You need to be responsive to your audience to increase loyalty. Get more personal. While building a brand image is quite essential, it’s also vital to connect with your followers on a personal basis. Make your profile look more like a human rather than rendering it a robotic image.

- Reply to comments

- Mention @people

- Answer questions on Quora

For example Sprout Social’s #SproutChat enables their followers to regularly connect with them.

4) Utilize Analytics

Sometimes even the best laid out plans don’t work out as expected. ‘Google Analytics’ is the one step solution for finding what’s actually working out for you. You can use analytic tools to find:

- Number of reactions/likes/comments

- Day of the week or time when your followers are most active

This will give you a complete picture of your audience. It will help shine a light on your weak spots and you can uncover quick fixes leading to commendable results. Eventually, your social media presence will grow stronger by time.

5) Know Your Audience

You just cannot target anybody and everybody. You need to make sure your presence is felt to the right people in the right sense.

Ponder over these questions:

-What is the goal of your social media presence?

-Whom do you want to reach?

After getting the answers to these questions, understand what your audience loves and then do a competitive analysis.

For example Grammarly is a writing app and they feature funny and entertaining posts on social media that isn’t restricted to the knowledge of a professional editor. This means they cater to the younger crop of audience as well.

Just being present on social media isn’t the same thing as having a good social media presence. On the face of it, it may look simple but it requires time and effort. Still, building a strong social media presence is not rocket science. You just need to be in sync with the latest trends and incorporating simple tips in an effective manner will go a long way in making you stand out of the crowd.