Social media has grown exponentially over the last ten years. It has also evolved significantly and has become one of the most powerful ways of marketing online. Businesses all over the world rely on social media as a channel to not only reach new audiences but also to learn more about their customers in order to effectively target them.
With data, information, and insights becoming more and more accessible and informative, companies are now able to better understand their customers, allowing them to create more effective campaigns. So, how can you leverage social media to scale your business? What are the biggest brands in the world currently doing and what can you do to grow your business? We found out.
Grow People, Not Numbers
In the past, different metrics were considered when it came to social media. People considered the number of followers for each account and the number of likes each post was getting. The fact of the matter is that these numbers don’t actually translate into conversions if you are not targeting real, organic human beings who are actually interested in your brand.
It is now about engagement, click-throughs, and conversions. Are real customers actually interested in your products or services? It is now about having a community of engaged, interested followers who are likely to convert.
But this process can be resource-intensive, so you should consider finding a partner to help you generate organic followers. If you are looking to increase the number of real followers on Instagram, for example, you can check out this Path Social review to understand how bringing the right partner on board can help you succeed in the long run.
Know Your Customers and What They Want
Customer profiles have also changed over the last few years. As important as it is to know the basic demographics like age, gender, location, and typical budget spending, you now need to know so much more. Having a deep insight into your customers is knowing what they are interested in, how they behave, and what their activity is like online.
Keep an eye on what your target audience is doing on social media. Who are they following? What are they posting? What are they engaging with? And what are the trends? It could be worth your while watching what your local and global competitors are doing. If you notice engagement spiking on specific content and being shared repeatedly, it could be worthwhile to post similar content and reach the audiences that are following those particular trends.
Post Content People Want to See
You need to know that content exists for several reasons. First, it helps you elevate your SEO. With the right keywords in your content, you can ensure that you are easily found online. But, content also allows your audience to know more about you, resonate with you, and can consider you a trusted authority in your industry.
So, make sure that your content is educational, informative, insightful, and entertaining. Make sure that your customer can actually learn something from your content.
Let’s say you are a fashion label and launching a spring campaign. Educating your audience about the latest trends, how to wear certain items, and how to pair your items together could be a good way of keeping your brand top of mind. Videos, images, and stories are all good ways of conveying these key messages, you just need to adjust the structure of the post to the platform.
Create Partnerships With Third Parties
Micro-influencers are a great way of reaching brand new, highly targeted audiences. Find micro-influencers who have a few thousand followers, but whose followers regularly engage with them. If they are aligned and associated with your industry, you can be confident that their audience is your direct target audience, and that any content they share on your behalf will be seen by people who are interested in what you have to offer.
Choose your micro-influencer carefully. Make sure they are posting high-quality, informative content that aligns with your brand. In some cases, you might want to co-create content with them, but in others, they prefer to create their own content and simply mention you. Some will ask to be paid, while others will accept a partnership in exchange for free products. The key is to make sure that they are relevant to your industry and your brand while remaining brand-conscious for the sake of your brand’s reputation.
The Bottom Line
It is important to keep an eye on the success of your posts and campaigns. Each platform offers key insights and metrics to allow you to track the engagement and click-throughs. This information will help you plan future campaigns and know what works with your customer and what doesn’t.