Social media is the best way for your audience to interact with your brand and to share your company’s personality. If you don’t know where to start, or need a boost for your brand, tick off each of these steps to see more success.
Find the platform that suits you
Social media isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule. Knowing which platform is best for your brand depends on who your customers are and what success looks like to you. Think about what your audience wants to see and how you can give that to them.
From a distance, every platform looks very similar. But each one has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, if your business thrives on making industry connections, a B2B social media platform like LinkedIn may be a better choice to focus your efforts.
Learn more in our guide to social media.
Know your competitors
Once you've decided which social media platforms are best for your brand, you should work out what you need to do to stay ahead of the competition.
I recommend carrying out a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) to help you build an understanding of where your brand fits within your industry.
- Start by making a list of your competitors.
- Look at what they’re up to on social media. Which platforms are they using and what are they doing?
- Look at what they’re doing well and what makes their page work.
- Where could they improve? Stack their weaknesses in your own brand’s favour.
You’ll now have an idea of what threats you face from your competitors, and what you can do to get ahead in the race with your own social media campaigns.
Stand out on the screen
Although every social media platform is different, there are some quick and easy things that can be applied throughout to make sure you stand out.
Think about your images
Images are incredibly important on social media. In fact, Facebook posts with photos receive up to 37% more engagement than those without them.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the pictures that you want to feature.
Get the right crop
Make sure your images are cropped to the correct size for each platform. Remember, each platform will have its own optimum dimensions. There's nothing worse than Twitter cropping off your head!
Make it original
Use original and high-quality images, either a photograph you have taken or an eye-catching graphic.
Teach your audience
Want to mix things up and add some text to your images? Experiment with infographics and engage your audience with stimulating knowledge bombs - for instance, a flow chart showing x, y and z. Present complicated information in the simplest way possible so it’s easy for your audience to digest.
Experiment with GIFs
GIFs offering subtle movement can add more personality to your page and give life to your images.
Video is king
Video is the king of social media. From YouTube to LinkedIn to Instagram, using purposeful videos can boost your numbers. But hitting record and uploading any mini motion picture won’t cut it.
Make your video upbeat and lively with an engaging narrator or speaker to bring purpose to your video, whether it’s to teach your audience something new or bring value to your brand.
How can I be better on camera?
Consistent and quality content
One way that you can get consistent content is from your staff and followers. This is known as user-generated content.
To get great user-generated content, set up a hashtag your followers use for posts. This will allow you to feature your followers’ content on your page and build your community.
Get your staff to create content that you use on social media. At FINALLY we believe content is key and encourage our team to write blogs, film videos and build their own social media presence.
Make your social footprint with FINALLY.
Looking for a growth agency to help boost your brand through social media? Get in touch and see how we can help you with your social media strategy.