Advertising is no longer the only way reach audiences. If you are just starting out and don’t have the funds to start an advertising campaign, social media can help you advertise your brand and grow your audience as effectively.
Here are seven tips to do that:
1. Understand your audience
Knowing your audience’s needs, what they want to read about and what they believe in will help you understand what you need to give to them.
Use analytics to get know the demographics, interests and which platforms your followers prefer. Once you figure this out, you can plan your strategy and content accordingly.
2. Interact with your followers
Image: yougov.co.uk
Interacting with people under your posts works wonders. Doing this, helps to show people that you are not a bot that just types automatic responses, but you are a human being with needs, interests and fears as everyone. Also, it shows that you put in the time and energy in your job.
All these can help create a connection with your audience which will make them come back to your website and recommend it to their friends.
3. Use multimedia
A picture or a short video are more likely to catch people’s attention. It is easier and quicker for them to understand what your post is about than a plain link.
4. Use Hashtags
Hashtags are one of the most useful tools you can use to promote your content. Everyone uses them to bring more people to their blogs or websites.
If you’re writing about something that is trending, research which hashtags people are using and include them in your post. But use them carefully. Don’t finish every post with 15 unrelated hashtags.
5. Schedule your posts
Many platforms offer the opportunity to prepare your posts in advance and schedule them to be posted automatically later. By doing this you can improve consistency and reach multiple time zones.
Research has shown that people are most active on social media when they commute. Schedule your posts during these times to reach a larger audience. You can also use software to do it for you.
6. Use Polls/Questions
People like to respond to questions, and they like to be right. Use trivia games to get people to engage with your content and bring in more likes, follows, and traffic.
7. Include Social Media Icons on Your Website
Make sure to include the icons of your social media networks on your personal website. This will make it easier for those coming to read your stuff to like and follow you. Make it simple for people to get your name out.
Extra tip: Be patient
Thing can be slow at the beginning but do not get discouraged. The reality is that most social media campaigns won’t really deliver any real results until you’ve got a fair few months into them.
Even then, depending on what niche you’re in, it can take much longer. The most important thing to remember is to keep focused.
Have a strategy and stick to it even if it feels like you’re running in circles.