4.8 billion people around the world use social media, making up approximately 59.9% of the global population. If you don’t have an online presence, you can’t reach your target audience and make them aware of your business.
Social media makes it easy to get your online brand noticed, so you need to have one. With the right social media marketing plan, you can increase your online brand presence.
But, starting out can be the trickiest part, so let’s address that first.
How to Get Started on Social Media?
If you want to build a social media presence, look for social channels where your audience hangs out. If you’re aware of the target audience’s avatar, demographic, and social networks they spend time on, then you definitely need to go where they are.
Research which social media channels are relevant to your target audience, and craft content that’s in line with the vibe of those platforms. Look into what social media trends are popular to gain ideas for your posts. Develop a posting schedule with a social media scheduler to gradually increase your presence on those channels.
Is Social Media Marketing Worth It?
Social media marketing is totally worth it, but most businesses give up before it starts producing a return on investment (ROI).
As a business, you need to understand that social media marketing is like a compound investment. To make your efforts worthwhile and to have a successful marketing strategy, you need to continually create content for your social profiles over a sustained period of time. You can use online tools to help you be consistent.
Now that we know how important social media marketing is, let’s uncover some social media marketing tactics to make your brand more visible online.
1. Set Business Goals
The first step in creating an online presence for your brand through social media is to define goals for your business. When you have business goals in place, you can then build a social media marketing strategy around those goals.
One of the most important upsides of having goals in place is that you can then measure your progress, and see how far you’ve come in accomplishing them. When you have tangible metrics to measure, you know you’re headed in the right direction.
Let’s say you’re an eCommerce brand selling shoes. To raise awareness for your recycled shoe collection and generate more sales, you need to set a goal of converting social media followers into paying customers. To track your progress, you can use analytics tools like Mention to see how many conversions, clicks, and sales you land across your social media platforms.
A goal helps you understand the “why” that drives your business. Without a goal in mind, you’re simply chasing numbers in the form of likes, shares, and social media followers. And these numbers mean nothing if they’re not converting.
2. Be In It for the Long Haul
Consistency is the backbone of successful social media marketing, and if you’re not in it for the long-term game, you won’t get much out of it.
Building a brand presence takes time, patience, and long-term effort because overnight success is a myth. The earlier you understand this, the better. You will need a dedicated marketing team to help you build your online presence. Stay on track to your goal and organized with a work schedule app for all your marketing team. Its important your social media accounts always have an employee posting and interacting with potential customers.
Shane Barker explains: “Consistency in social media marketing isn’t just about showing up; it’s about showing up with value, again and again. Overnight success is a myth; real growth takes time and effort.”
On platforms like Instagram, consistency can be one of the best social media marketing tactics to skyrocket your online brand presence. Why?
When you regularly post high-quality content, it not only keeps your audience engaged, but also signals to the algorithm that your account is active and relevant. This, in turn, can lead to increased visibility and greater organic reach.
By making a social media content calendar, you establish a consistent posting schedule through which you build anticipation and trust with your followers, encouraging them to stay loyal and interact with your content more often.
Over time, as your engagement grows, you’ll likely attract more attention leading to the opportunity of earning free Instagram followers from impressed users who willingly share and recommend your content to their own networks.
This goes for other social media platforms as well. When you’re consistent, you show up as an authentic business with an active social media presence.
Whether you’re a product or service-based business, consistency helps get your brand image and messaging in your target audience’s mind, ultimately increasing retention levels. So when it’s time for them to make a purchase, your brand will pop up in their minds, bringing more sales for your business.
3. Tell a Good Story
Everybody loves a good story, and this is one of the most powerful social media marketing tactics at your disposal. Yes, telling stories isn’t easy, but this tactic works like a charm on the target audience.
Your best bet is to practice the craft, learn about the important considerations of brand storytelling, and get better at it.
One of the brands that tell terrific stories is Chewy. They go out of their way to share stories of customers and furry friends using their products. It’s an excellent way to connect with their target audience.
And who doesn’t love a cute picture of an animal on their timeline? This factor alone boosts shares, likes, and comments.
4. Harness User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-generated content (UGC) is a goldmine for establishing authenticity and building a strong brand community. Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your products or services, and consider featuring their content on your social platforms.
By doing so, you showcase genuine customer satisfaction and create a sense of trust and relatability. And if you need inspiration on how to do this right, take a page out of Brite Co’s book.
This brand creatively leverages customer reviews as user-generated content on its Instagram page to showcase how easy it is to get engagement ring insurance to protect a precious piece of jewelry (with sentimental and monetary value).
This unique strategy highlights their positive customer experience and adds a personal touch to the brand. And it builds social proof, further reducing friction in the buyer’s journey. Nicely done, BriteCo!
5. Master the Art of Hashtags
Hashtags are more than just catchy phrases preceded by the pound sign. They serve as bridges between your content and potential customers.
A prime example of a brand that has truly mastered the art of hashtags is Starbucks. This global coffeehouse chain has successfully incorporated hashtags into its social media strategy to engage its audience, create trends, and enhance brand visibility.
Starbucks consistently uses its iconic hashtag #Starbucks on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. This hashtag not only reinforces their brand identity but also serves as a rallying point for their passionate community of coffee lovers to share their Starbucks experiences.
By encouraging customers to use this hashtag, Starbucks creates a sense of belonging and builds a community around its brand. Additionally, Starbucks often capitalizes on trending and seasonal hashtags.
For instance, during the holiday season, they used the hashtag #PeppermintMocha to promote their festive offerings and garner user-generated content.
By aligning its content with popular hashtags, Starbucks taps into larger conversations and maximizes its reach.
6. Grab More Eyeballs With Video Content
92% of marketers have reported achieving a favorable return on investment through their video marketing efforts. This statistic should be reason enough for you to make video content a part of your social media marketing strategy.
Clean Origin is a brand that uses video content to showcase the beauty and craftsmanship of their lab-grown diamond jewelry, such as unique-style diamond engagement rings and other types of jewelry.
Video marketing can be an engaging way to highlight product features, share customer testimonials, and communicate the brand’s sustainability initiatives, so you should use it to greatly enhance the visibility of your online brand.
7. Show Some Personality
In the crowded marketplace of eCommerce and physical businesses now available online, it’s necessary to have an engaging and unique presence on social media to make an impression.
Think about Wendy’s Twitter account. They don’t just post about their burgers. They add a dash of sass and humor that gets people talking.
A consumer culture report found 71% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that they perceive as authentic and genuine. When your brand shows its personality, it becomes more relatable and human.
Your target audience wants to connect with real people, not just faceless logos. This could mean sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team working, celebrating quirky holidays, or even sharing a funny blooper.
It’s like letting your hair down and showing off the fun side of your brand. This is one of the many genius and easily doable social media marketing tactics that totally works in your brand’s favor.
8. Be Innovative
To increase your brand’s online presence, innovation is key to standing out from the competition. One effective way to be innovative and capture your audience’s attention is to make great video content and use a professional voice-over service to dub your videos on social media.
Imagine introducing your brand-new product with a boxing announcer voice. It’s epic. It’s unique. And it’ll stop social media users from scrolling past.
With a high-quality, engaging voice, you can turn your videos into professional and engaging content to grab more eye (and ears) and later turn them into customers. Sounds idyllic, right?
9. Go Live For Real-Time Engagement
If you want to connect with your audience on a deeper level, go live and engage with them in real-time. You can schedule live sessions around product launches, Q&A sessions, or behind-the-scenes tours.
This real-time engagement allows you to address questions, concerns, and comments on the spot, showcasing your brand’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
Going live also encourages a sense of community, as viewers can engage with each other and feel like they’re part of an exclusive event. Use this opportunity to interact authentically and create memorable experiences.
10. Personalize Content for Each Platform
If your target audience hangs out on different social media platforms, then you need to create content for each of them separately. Since each social media platform has its own unique vibe and audience, you need to tailor your content to match the style and preferences of each platform.
This goes beyond simply reposting the same content — optimize visuals, language, and posting frequency to align with the platform’s culture.
One notable example of a brand that excels at personalizing content for different platforms is Nike. This global sportswear giant has mastered the art of tailoring its messaging to resonate with the unique characteristics and preferences of various social media platforms.
On Instagram, Nike focuses on visually captivating content, showcasing athletes in action, and featuring high-quality images of their products. They use engaging captions that often include motivational messages or stories that connect with their audience’s aspirations.
On Twitter, Nike adopts a more concise and witty approach, using trending hashtags and sharing bite-sized updates about product releases, collaborations, and major sporting events. Their tweets often incorporate humor and cultural references, making them shareable and relatable.
By tailoring your content strategy to each platform, you ensure a consistent brand identity while effectively engaging with diverse audiences across different social media channels.
11. Do A/B Testing for Optimal Performance
A/B testing becomes a powerful tool, as you try different social media marketing tactics to enhance your online brand presence.
For this, try experimenting with different content formats, captions, and posting times to determine what resonates best with your audience. Then, analyze the results and use these insights to refine your strategy continually.
But you must remember: what works for one platform may not work for another, so tailor your approach accordingly. Consistent testing and optimization will ensure that you’re consistently delivering content that drives engagement and enhances your brand’s online presence.
12. Make Bite-Sized Content for Micro-Moment Marketing
In today’s fast-paced world and shrinking attention spans, micro-moments have become a significant part of consumers’ daily lives. These are quick instances when people turn to their devices to find answers or solutions.
Tap into this area by creating bite-sized, engaging social media content that caters to these moments of immediate need.
Share quick tips, tutorials, or informative snippets that provide instant value to your audience. You establish trust and authority in your niche by positioning your brand as a go-to source for quick solutions.
Here’s a stellar example by Jeremy Moser, the CEO at uSERP, with a PDF post on LinkedIn, sharing quick SEO headline hacks.
13. Refine Your Strategy Based on Data-Driven Insights
Gone are the days of guesswork in social media marketing. This is why you need to use social media tools like Mention for insights and performance metrics to make informed decisions.
Analyze data related to engagement rates, click-through rates, and audience demographics to better understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
Regularly evaluate your social media strategy and make adjustments based on these insights. Data-driven decision-making ensures that you’re optimizing your efforts and maximizing your brand’s online presence effectively and not just throwing arrows in the dark.
Wrapping Up
Having a strategy is certainly a great way to boost your brand presence, but if you’re not listening to your target audience and what they need from your business, then you’re not maximizing the potential of social media.
If you want to get closer to your audience through social media listening, give Mention a try!
