With more than 4 billion people around the world now logging onto sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, there’s never been a better time to get in on the potential outreach of both paid and free marketing opportunities on social media.

But with every other company also looking to cash in, competition is fierce. If you aren’t bringing your A-game, your efforts will likely fall flat. Unfortunately, connecting and engaging with new followers can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. 

You sink hours of work into new posts, only to see limited engagement and few or even no new followers as a result. Paid advertising can help, but only for as long as you keep paying for ads. Stop those, and that engagement and growth will end immediately as well.

Luckily, it doesn’t have to be so hard. That’s why we’re bringing you this super-simple guide to boosting your social media success. Keep reading to learn the strategies you need to start implementing today!

Using Content Market, Accessibility, and Creativity to Expand Your Reach

Growing your social media presence and connecting with your followers is about much more than witty posts. Instead, you need a fine-tuned approach designed to draw in your target customers, encourage engagement through accessibility, and help you build a strong brand that will resonate across every social media channel you choose to use. 

While social media is never a one-size-fits-all solution, there are a few tactics that are certain to boost your success. 

Establish a Solid Brand

If you’ve spent any time at all on social media, you’ve likely noticed a few iconic brands that seem to have already mastered one or more platforms. 

We’ve all laughed at the fast-food chain Wendy’s quirky, sarcastic Twitter posts. We’ve felt empowered by Dove’s body-positivity videos. We’ve experienced some wander-lust or a rush of adrenaline as we watched one of GoPro’s stunning videos.

What each of these companies has in common goes far beyond a well-staffed, adequately-funded social media marketing department; they have a clear, established the brand with a strict set of guidelines that they always adhere to. You won’t catch GoPro roasting another company on Twitter, just as you won’t find bright, fast-paced action videos on Wendy’s feed.

Finding your niche as a business or brand takes some work. But putting in the work early will allow you to start growing your cohesive image and building brand awareness right from the start. 

If you choose not to invest in professional help establishing your brand, you still should aim for a professional approach to branding. You’ll want to choose color schemes, fonts, and distinct voice and style for your photos and text. Then, stick to those brand guidelines for every single post or piece of content you produce on your social media channels and on your website.

Offer Your Followers Something of Value

Until your brand or products are well-known enough to stand on their own, your first priority on social media should be proving to your followers the potential value that you have to offer. 

Social media marketing on platforms like Facebook and Instagram is all about selling a lifestyle. Even Twitter helps users build a web of connections and share their ideas in a more open way than they are able to off the web, which adds to the image of that lifestyle. But on your end, achieving this is about more than posting stunning images of influencers using your products or visiting your location. Content marketing is also a must.

While usually posted to your website rather than directly to social media, content marketing is your chance to implement SEO tactics to boost your site’s ranking while also drawing in, entertaining, or educating consumers. 

This isn’t just pages of text stuffed with keywords or gushing about your latest release. Instead, this needs to be content that offers value to your customers on its own, before they’ve ever made a purchase. It can teach them new skills, offer solutions to common problems, or simply keep them updated on changes related to your industry. Keep it high-quality; cookie-cutter content or poor writing won’t keep customers engaged.

Be Accessible

Success on social media goes beyond just posting that stunning branded image or useful content. Consumers expect your social media presence to be more than just an advertisement. They see it as a tool that allows them to connect with and engage with their favorite brands. For you as a business, that means that you need to learn how to be accessible.

Nearly 90 percent of social media marketers report that it’s important for their companies to provide customer service through social media. From answering questions posted to your wall to responding to comments and messages, customer service may come in many forms.

This doesn’t mean that you need to respond to every single message if you’re receiving dozens or even hundreds a day. But engaging with as many of your followers who reach out to you as possible will help you create an accessible atmosphere that will resonate with consumers who want that personal connection with brands before they take the leap and start making purchases.

Mastering Social Media

Millennials today spend an average of 11 hours engaging with digital content every day. That makes social media platforms one of the most important ways that you can reach out and form a connection with potential or even past customers.

By learning effective strategies for boosting your social media success, including creating a cohesive brand, being accessible, and creating high-quality, engaging content, you can take advantage of your customers’ web time to connect and win them over.

Get started on refining your social media strategies today. Reach out to us for more information!