Social Media Tips for Entrepreneurs: 5 Critical Components of Brand Building Online
EntrepreneursThe immense power of social media networking for accelerated brand growth is nothing short of astonishing. The fact that a business owner can start from nothing and build a loyal band of brand enthusiasts simply by sharing content on social media should give any entrepreneur hope for the future of their business. But social success isn’t determined by a “spray-and-pray” approach; true social media marketing success comes with a resolve to be of service to your audience in a personable manner they can relate to. If you’re an entrepreneur hoping to utilize social media to establish and grow your business, following are five crucial components of building a successful brand online.
1) Audience building on social media takes time and a willingness to interact. Build a community around your business by interacting with your audience. Comment on their Facebook posts, like their tweets, and share posts by social media users you hope to build a relationship with. Social media isn’t about broadcasting your message to the Internet; it’s about building camaraderie and brand personality.
2) Unless you include CTAs on your social media posts, you aren’t likely to see increasing ROI on your outreach efforts. Your calls-to-action need to be clear without being pushy. Remember, without building a relationship first, your followers aren’t going to be inclined to do what you ask of them.
3) Don’t offer the same type of posts ad nauseam. The adage, “Variety is the spice of life,” applies to social media marketing too. Share everything from polls and photos to motivational quotes and videos. Helpful tips, livestreamed broadcasts, and links to company blog posts will help keep your audience engaged and enticed by the variety of posts your company offers. Just like you wouldn’t want to eat the same meal day after day, your followers don’t want to be greeted by the same type of posts non-stop.
4) When sharing images on social media, pay attention to load times. Compress files prior to uploading and check rendering on your mobile device. Loading should be virtually instantaneous or your audience is going to move on to faster site or social post. If you’re going to get fancy with your visual marketing, make sure you’re not sacrificing speed for splendor.
5) Be sure to post on social media when you have the best chance of audience interaction. While LinkedIn and Google+ posts fare well in the morning, Facebook and Twitter posts are likely to perform better in the early afternoon. Pinterest engagement is likely to be highest in the late afternoon or early evening. Test posts with your own audience to see which times work best for your business.
Consistency is the secret sauce for successful social media networking. You can’t hope to earn a huge following or see remarkable ROI in just a matter of months. Just like personal relationships take time to build, so too do social networking relationships. Remember your long-term goals and stay true to your original purpose. Your audience will gradually build if you offer content they’re interested in and that provides valuable information they can use in their daily lives. Slow and steady is the way to win the race in social.