Follow these tips to get your new company off to a good start on social media.
By Henry Brown
The Internet is such a crowded space that it can be very intimidating for newcomers. This is never truer than it is in the business world. You’re selling a product or service and have to go toe-to-toe with industry giants! It’s extremely daunting.
That being said, there are a couple of nifty ways to help get yourself noticed, fast. Quick growth is important for any business, but start-ups need to move fast to avoid being swallowed up. You don’t need a marketing degree either, or a huge budget; you just need careful planning.
Think of social media as one big game. Like any game, there are shortcuts and ‘cheats’ you can use. It’s just a system, and if you use that system correctly, you can see big results quickly.
Forty-six percent of users look to social media when making a purchase, a staggering amount and one you should be making note of. If you can impress upon users the effectiveness or reliability of your product, the sales will fly in!
But to reach people, you have to start small. Your first port of call will be a three-pronged social media account setup: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They’re the three most popular, and will be the foundation of your growth.
Next, you want to identify the tools that each platform gives you to aid growth. On Facebook, when you’ve set up a page, you have the chance to ‘boost’ your posts, which can help them target the correct demographic. Twitter also offers a similar feature that works in the same way, and Instagram can be integrated with Facebook.
Once you’ve setup the accounts and are doing some basic boosting, the next step is outsourcing. As a start-up, you won’t have a huge team behind you that can help you along the way, so look for outside help. Have a browse of some social media marketing packages and see which is right for you.
So, you have a collaborative strategy in place and your posts are being boosted… what’s next? As previously mentioned, those 46 percent of people will be looking all over social media every day, so make yourself available. Let your online profiles be known, and spread the word. Here are some quick ways to get your name out there:
-Add links to your profiles in your email signature.
-Add social media handles to all business cards and correspondences.
-If you have a website, add a ‘share’ button and links to your pages.
-Start by getting your friends and families to like, follow and share your posts.
-Search social media for keywords related to you, and interact with the people that pop up.
Be sure to diversify the kind of content you post to your pages, too. For example, it might also be worth sending a message to each new follower, thanking them for joining you. Remember; just a few basic tweaks can go a long way. Social media isn’t rocket science or astrophysics; it’s just a game!
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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop he’s roaming the streets of London; uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.
