Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest are just a few of the hundreds of social media platforms available for marketing yourself or your business. Each of them has many options to help link you to a vast network of potential followers. However, if you want to get a positive return, your approach needs to be catchy, user-friendly, and most of all, professional.
Here are 15 easy ways to make sure that you get the most out of what Social Media can offer for promoting your Brand.
1) Make sure that you are using the right social media platform. The platform you choose may be based on the type of user in your target audience, the type of business you run, or what the platform has to offer to the promotion and recognition of your brand.
2) Choose an appropriate profile picture. It should be:
- Professional and relevant – no Bart Simpson caricatures, please
- Clear and focused
- Sized correctly – not too small, not too large
- Easily recognizable – whether it is your face or your logo
- In agreement with the profile picture regulations set by the platform (where applicable)
3) If the platform allows you to decorate your wall, take advantage of this by creating an attractive page. Add a background picture that does not distract viewers or contain information that will be partly or completely obscured.
4) Make sure the written content of your profile clearly conveys the purpose of your brand. Remember: Less is more. Keep your words simple and few – make people want to find out more.
5) Keep the resume (or history) portion of your profile up to date. Post news about your brand on a regular basis. Keep your followers informed. Post often enough to keep your brand on the newsfeed without overloading it.
6) Contribute to the conversation. Comment on other people’s posts – let them know you exist and they (and their followers) just might notice you. Whether or not you agree with them, keep your comments professional and accurate – make sure you have your facts straight or you may find yourself experiencing a very public backlash.
7) Respond to your followers. When other users ask you a question, make comments on your posts, “Like” you, “Favorite” you, or mention you – acknowledge them. Followers who are ignored won’t be followers much longer.
8) Don’t shamelessly self-promote – no one wants to be preached or bragged at
9) Share interesting and informative links and information
10) Share insights and wisdoms
11) Join groups and follow individual users
- Professional groups e.g. Screen Actors Guild
- Business groups e.g. Entrepreneur
- Corporate (brand name) groups e.g. General Mills
- Organizations with which you are involved e.g. UNICEF
- Groups with which your target audience is involved e.g. A World Of Experts
- Hobby groups e.g. Photography For Beginners
12) Share across platforms when possible. If you have more than one social media account, keeping them all flowing can be tedious. If you can share from one platform to another (or more), you can keep the information on all your accounts flowing with fewer posts.
13) Make sure your target audience is aware of your social media accounts. Place social media links on your website. Some platforms have several linking options available. Make sure that you choose the right one for your business.
14) Engage your audience. Attract followers from outside your social media account by engaging them in some way: Have a contest, take a poll, ask a question, invite them to post comments or share pictures.
If you are still unsure, charging ahead with (not so much) confidence could be a mistake. Choosing the wrong social networking site, or having a profile that is not polished and professional can cause more harm than good.
If you don’t feel that you would be very good at establishing your Social Media Identity, find some one trustworthy that can help. Investigate your options for Social Media Marketing by contacting Oliver Marketing today.