Social media has so many benefits (I'm sure you have heard that before). And not just for the personal use of keeping up with friends and family. Although that is great too! Social media is of huge benefit for a business and marketing!
You can personally come into a person’s life, via phone, and showcase what you are selling. You are easily able to build a relationship with a potential customer.
But you have to be willing to utilize the tools of social media, and most importantly build a relationship with potential customers BEFORE trying to sell them something.
Today I am going to share what tools you need to be utilizing more on social media, how to build connections with potential customers, and overall, how to dominate your social media accounts so you can reap all the benefits.
Let’s start with tools:
Lives
From Instagram to Facebook, to Twitter, live videos are all the rage right now. People love to get a unique and sort of behind the scenes perspective into others lives. Hop on at peak times and chat or answer questions. Offer a tour of your workspace or business. Your possibilities are endless.
Stories
Stories are unique to Instagram and Facebook. They are similar to lives, but you have the option to edit the videos before posting, allowing creativity. Stories are also a fantastic way to produce engagement with your audience. And to boost traffic to your website or other social accounts. Your audience can experience another kind of behind the scenes to your life and business. Showcase pieces of your work. Ask questions. And have fun!
Hashtags
Hashtags are important for every social media platform. But are especially useful on Instagram.
Hashtags will classify and categorize your posts easily for other viewers to see. But you will need to research to find what hashtags pertain to your niche. We even have a hashtag eBook that can help you understand how to use hashtags and find the right ones to use here.
Photos
Use photos within your niche. Your photos and graphics should be clear and in focus. Also, consider how your photos will look amidst already existing ones.
When creating photos for your feed, consider…
Composition- the depth of field, contrast, and negative space.
Your Target Audience- Will your photos catch the eye of who you are trying to attract to your page?
Color- Are the colors in the photos similar?
Atmosphere- Are your photos tidy? Do they create the aesthetic you are trying to create?
Include an Occasional Selfie- Social Media users want to get to know the creator behind the account. They want to be part of a community and want to get to know you. And showing your face, with an introduction post is a great way to do that!
Captions
Write not only captions that are not only trying to sell a product but are also engaging with your audience. Remember to…
Never post without asking a question. Leave the fear of getting no response back. Train your audience to interact with a simple one- or two-word responses. And ALWAYS include “A Call to Action”.
What is a call to action? It’s what you want your audience to do after reading your post. Do you want them to read a blog post or article? Download an item? Sign up for something? Join a group? Tag a friend? Tell them what to do! Unless you do, they will not know.
Now that you know what the tools of Social Media are, how can you use them to build connection and community?
Be Genuine
Show YOUR personality. People can spot someone fake. Be completely yourself. People want to know you are the real deal, so they can trust you. Do that by sharing your highs and your lows. Don’t just show the good. Not all of life is sunshine. And when we see that fact in others, we feel less alone and more connected.
Respond to Comments and DM’s in a Genuine Manner
If you desire an authentic Instagram community, respond to comments genuinely. Do not leave a generic comment for all responses. Genuine comments and DM responses show your audience you care, making them more likely to comment or message you in the future.
Connect with Other Accounts
Not just the “promote my account, and I will promote your account”. Direct people to other accounts because you truly believe they have something to offer your audience.
Also, say “Hello” to new followers. Hop over to their account and leave a genuine comment about what they are posting. It leaves a positive impression. Be social!
Remember to use all the tools Social Media offers to build a community first. Then when your audience sees you are genuine and care, they are more likely to invest in your brand. Like Christy Wright says, "People do business with people they like, know, and trust!" In order to have that, you must have a great and genuine presence on social media for your business.
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