Social media presence is your brand personality expressed in the bite-sized visuals and messages of social media. It’s the face you show to the world, reaching both committed customers and first-time visitors. Building a social media presence increases awareness and helps define what makes your brand unique.
1. Identify your audience
Social media is all about segmentation. Are you targeting younger users? Then use TikTok or Twitch. Older customers might prefer Facebook or Instagram, whereas B2B sales require a presence on LinkedIn. Identify who your typical users are and zero in on those you want to target.
This way you’ll reach a segment that’s best suited to your business. By using tools like Sprout Social’s audience targeting you can choose criteria like location, age, gender, interests and more to target your ideal customers.
2. Be human
With every share, like, hashtag, comment or follow, social media users are actively engaging with your content. To maximize this, be yourself. Be approachable, honest and real. Talk directly and honestly to your customers and they’ll reward you with their loyalty.
3. Make your presence known
Make your social media presence known in a manner that suits your brand. Promote your presence across channels and create unique content that aligns with your brand and captures your audience’s attention such as special discounts or exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Lead with your strongest, most dramatic content.
4. Stay active
Remember to use that calendar function to maintain a regular posting schedule. Experiment with frequency and times to find out how often to post and when.
It’s not just about posting. An active presence also requires replying to comments and direct messages. Allow open direct messaging (so long as you respond) and keep a library of saved responses for FAQs.
5. Monitor your engagement and strategy
Regularly assess your metrics and find out what content and which platforms are delivering the best results. Are GIFs popular with your customers or do they prefer video content? Are you getting engagement from your target audience, and are you hitting your SMART objectives?
Most social media platforms offer built-in analytics to monitor your post performance and social media campaigns. These include impressions, clicks, shares, likes and comments, all of which can also provide audience insights.
6. Create content people want to see
By looking at what people like, share and comment on, you can find out what resonates with your customers. Of course, this will alter, and you’ll have to change direction with it. What memes are they sharing? Are short-form videos beating longer content? Is informatic content trending?
Align your messaging with what entertains, educates, moves and stimulates. This way you meet your customers’ preferences while infusing your brand values into the content.
Conclusion
A popular presence doesn’t happen by chance—it is strategically planned. Virality won’t sustain a brand if it can’t ride that initial wave of interest with engaging content and messaging. Consistency is key to an enduring presence.
