Whether you’re new to your industry or you simply want to stand out on social media, there are some things you need to do.
Your company posts need to be more than simply sales pitches, it’s important to engage with your audience, offer them advice, bring some fun to the connection, and eventually, offer a sales pitch for your products and services. Many companies might have forgotten this and have gotten bland, which is your chance to help your company stand out on your various social networks.
Be Visible to Your Audience
While there’s nothing wrong with trying some of the newest networks, it’s important to ensure you are active on the same networks as your customers. This means finding out what kind of audience you’ll find on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. There may be other networks that you should try but focus on the ones that are tried and true first before moving on to unproven platforms for your industry. Once you’re visible to your audience, it will be easier to engage with them and understand what they are looking for when they connect and engage with your company.
Share Your Story
No matter what your company is selling, you have a story that is going to make you stand out from the crowd on social media. Did you start your company in your garage and have grown it into a successful business? Are you just getting started and want to be given a chance? Did you learn your business from your parents? Are you part of a generational business that has been a staple of your town for decades? All of these are stories that can be told if you take the time to share what yours happens to be with the rest of the world.
Build a Theme for Your Accounts
Regardless of the platform, your audience finds your content; there should be some consistency in the appearance of your posts. This might mean creating a brand logo, adopting a specified color scheme, or having a mascot that is easy to recognize and understand. It doesn’t take you long to recognize the colors and logo of some of the most popular companies in the world; the same should be true of your company. Your logo can also be part of your story, which makes for a fantastic opening post to share with your audience.
Engage With Your Audience
One of the worst things that many companies do every day is to ignore the users on social media that are trying to connect with them. You might find some followers have left comments, sent you questions, or even jumped into your company DMs to try and connect with your business. Responding to these engaging moments quickly will make a huge difference to your audience. Set aside some time each day to check your messages and comments so that you can respond quickly and in the right tone of voice to your potential customers.
Let Others Inspire You
Are there other companies in your industry that excel in marketing on social networks? There’s likely at least some that are offering better posts, growing their audience more quickly, and are more engaging than your company is on these platforms. You can draw inspiration from them and learn their secret to success. Yes, this means setting aside a bit more time each day to focus on your competitors and see what they are doing. Don’t copy them exactly but let other companies in your industry inspire you to create better posts every week.
Humanize Your Team
Do you work with an amazing team? Do they put the time, energy, and creativity into the process to help your company grow and profit? Share your team with your audience and let them see and learn about the people they are working with. You can do this with some behind-the-scenes photos or videos that can be shared across your social media accounts. This is a fantastic way to bring your team to your customers so they can feel like family and part of your group when they purchase products or services from your company.
Take Advantage of the Network Tools
Each social platform works differently, which means you can offer various posts that aren’t exactly the same on each network. Check out the Twitter polls feature and let your audience offer their opinion of what you should share and what they look forward to, use Instagram Stories and Live Stories to highlight what’s going on at your company right now, and bring everything together on Facebook where your audience is likely to center from when online. Every platform has tools and features you should become familiar with so that you can make the most of your marketing investment.
Let Your Passion Shine Through
Why did you start your business? Did you have an idea for something that would help improve the lives of others, or did you know of a product that you wanted to make that would sell well? You likely have a genuine passion for what you do, and that is something you need to share with the world through your social media posts. This passion will certainly come through when you share how much you care and how the products and services you offer are made to improve the lives of your customers.
Don’t Be Afraid to Give Advice
Sometimes, you’re going to be asked questions or find customers looking for products that you don’t offer. If you’re asked for something you don’t offer, stand out by offering a suggestion to the person in your audience that is engaging with you. The fact that you’re not afraid to send a customer to another company because you don’t have what they want will help you stand out from the crowd in a big way. When this shopper is looking for what you do offer, they will come back to you and work with your team to utilize the services and benefit from the products you offer.
