How to Use Social Media to Boost Your Business

Now more than ever, a multitude of business owners are looking to social media to give their businesses a much-needed upgrade in terms of marketing and sales. Whether it’s a new venture or a side racket, it’s imperative that your business is visible on your main social media channels so it can be discovered by potential (and even existing) customers.

And now with 4.6 billion active users spending at least 2.5 hours a day, 55% of businesses greatly invest in social media marketing since social media presents ripe opportunities to get your brand out in the open for others to discover. And because you can immediately interact with customers through your social media channels, it presents another opportunity to build relationships with them. And of course, hopefully, convert all of this.

Sure, it can be intimidating but it isn’t impossible to make the most of your social media channels to benefit your business. Here’s how you can do it.

1. Specify social media channels

While there are a multitude of social media platforms on the web today, it’s important to choose the right ones. To find the channels that suit your brand best, you need to identify your audience first and the social media platforms they are more likely to use. Take some time to research and get to know your audience more.

The social media channels you choose also depend on your products and which suits them best. Tangible products that require visual stimulation are best placed in platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, for example.

2. Organize your posts

A melee of posts with no defined theme can be a turn-off to your potential customers. It’s vital to organize your posts using a content calendar so you can plan your content ahead of time and discern if it will work with users. Repeating posts or even a hiatus in your posting can lead to less engagement and fewer potential followers.

Planning your posts will help guide you in creating higher quality and more engaging content. Your posts will also depend on the channel you choose. For Instagram, casual and light-hearted posts work best where you can even throw in an emoji or two in the format.

3. Engage your audience

One of the most effective ways to leverage your social media channels is by being transparent and authentic. Brands are rebranding themselves to reflect more of their company culture, their mission/vision, and goals for their audience to relate more with them.

Another important factor with engagement is encouraging interaction with your audience. Post content that is interesting and worthwhile, while a strong call-to-action always helps conclude. The comments section on Instagram and Facebook are your best bets. Creating conversations with and between your audience in the comments section is a wonderful way to organically increase your followers and engagement.

4. Invest in video content

Videos have proven to be an effective way to reach your audience. 74% of marketers agree that video has a better return on investment than static imagery. A short video on your social media channel can be enough to convey your message and tell your own story. With visuals easily standing out in people’s feeds, it’s a great way to grab attention and encourage engagement.

Of course, your videos need to be eye-catching at first. Creatively shot narratives are an effective way to pique interest. But it’s also important to understand the format of the social media channel you are using. Once you’ve chosen your medium, understand the audience and find the right format that suits the video well. For example, Instagram Stories has a maximum resolution of 1800 pixels wide and 1920 pixels in height, the maximum file size for videos of 4GB, and an aspect ratio of 9:16.

5. Create a community

While the thought of a plethora of followers can be tempting, it’s more valuable to have a community of followers that resonate with your brand. And as tempting as it is to buy organic followers on Instagram and Facebook, it isn’t recommended. That’s because more followers don’t necessarily translate into engagement. Accounts that reflect a huge following but very little engagement can look suspicious and turn off potential followers.

The advantage of creating a community instead of a massive following is in creating loyal followers who will share and promote your brand, and even become loyal customers in the end. This can even open up doors with future partnerships and promotions with influencers and media outlets for your brand.

Social media should be a serious factor in your brand’s marketing efforts. With billions of active users that continue to grow monthly, social media is a treasure trove for marketing and sales. Followers easily convert into customers that can become loyal fans.