Social media is your ticket to a broader following, more exposure, and improved online ROI for your brand.
Your content marketing strategy can really get a boost from a strong social presence, in particular.
In fact, BrandWatch calls social media + content marketing “the dynamic duo.”
For example, the more engaged and the bigger your social following, the more readers you can draw in with every new content piece you put out and promote.
That’s exactly what you want from this powerful combo.
You want social media to serve your content marketing, and your content marketing to enhance your social platform.
Of course, for the partnership of social + content to work this way, you have to build up each on their own.
That’s why we’re going to tackle how to build a strong social media presence today on the blog.
Ready? Grab a latte, coffee or tea and join me. Let’s start with the first steps.
The First Steps for Scoring on Social: Know Your Audience, Choose Platforms, Set Goals
Ready to get going with a content marketing strategy that includes a strong social presence? Ask yourself key questions and begin with these steps:
1. Go Where Your People Are
“Where does my audience live?” is the first question you should ask yourself when you’re ready to start building up your social media presence.
Of course, to answer it, you have to know your audience. You need to understand who they are, what they do, and where they hang out online. Thus, at this point, you should be relying on your audience personas, or those imaginary human beings who are composites of your target audience.
Here’s a sample persona from Hubspot:Based on what you know about them, which social network(s) do your personas use the most? Go there.
Have you signed up for my FREE course, Turbocharge Your Content Marketing in 5 Days? I teach the basics of persona building in this course.
2. Choose Your Platforms Judiciously
Maybe your personas are social media gurus who have accounts on nearly every channel. In this case, where should you go?
Do you create accounts for your brand on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest? Do you set up an account on that new network that hasn’t gained much traction yet (these come and go, but there’s always one out there)?
The answer is no, you shouldn’t. Instead, ask yourself this question:
“Where can I reach my audience effectively?”
If you sign up for every social media account you can, you’ll just spread yourself too thin. Instead, choose a select few, ones where you can have a demonstrable impact on your audience.
According to Inc., quality is better than quantity for social media, especially if you don’t have the funds for a dedicated social media manager. So, stick to one or two platforms, and get the hang of them before you add any more.
Choose platforms that will support the kind of posts you plan on doing, too. For instance, if your posts are going to be image-centric, Instagram could be better for you than Twitter.
Once you figure all this out, go ahead and secure your accounts (using your brand name as your handle) on your chosen platforms.
3. Set Goals to Stand Out
Here’s the final question you need to ask yourself on this quest for social media victory.
How can I stand out above everyone else while reaching them?
For one, plan the content you will post on each platform, and optimize that content for ultimate success.
Don’t just share links to your other content on the web. Create content just for social media, too. Think video, images, interactive content, and more.
Don’t just regurgitate links. Give your followers a little more reason to stay connected to your feed.
Finally, plan that content with a posting calendar, and set goals for yourself. Will you try to add X number of new followers per week? Will you aim for a base level of likes on each post? Will you try to engage with others X times a day?
Planning and setting goals can help push you toward success on social. It’s just that simple.
3 More Tips to Rock It Out on Social Media
So, you’ve got the basics of how to grow your social media presence on lock. Now you may be wondering: How can you go the extra mile?? (like Forrest Gump?)
1. Go Live
Going live means pushing “record” and rolling with it. It’s just you and your audience – no script, no text, just your face and your voice, talking to them.
It sounds scary because it is. I tried it myself for the FIRST time ever recently, and I’ve been in content marketing for six years!
To get myself comfortable, I went ahead and say “yes” to going live two days in a row in the middle of September. Once I got past the nerves of “going live,” I really enjoyed it.
I went live on Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang’s show, Classroom Without Walls, speaking SEO content tactics. She is a social media professor that holds a FB Live every Wednesday at 5 PM.
The NEXT day, I was live on Madalyn Sklar’s awesome #TwitterSmarter afterchat, sharing Twitter strategies to earn more business.
Each appearance racked up over 500 views, and, my Facebook page went from 600-odd page likes to over 800 that week. Wow! It was well worth it.
The fear, of course, is tied to the “live” part of the deal, and it understandably holds many people back.
However, it can be HUGELY valuable for your brand’s reach on social media, because platforms serve live content first – just like I found out!
Look at Facebook, for instance. They know that people are more likely to stop and watch a live video, or watch it longer, so they serve that content to you first. Crazy, right?
To get a taste of the difference between live and standard video posts, think about some stats. On average, people watch Facebook Live videos 3x longer than other types of video. Users also comment on them at a 10x higher rate.
Going live can be a powerful way to build a stronger presence on social media. You just have to work up the nerve to hit “record.”
2. Creatively Engage Your Followers
If you want to boost your presence, another strategy is to creatively engage your followers. Give them opportunities to interact with you and the community you’re targeting.
Here at Express Writers, we went the extra mile on Twitter to engage our followers and created a Twitter chat, #ContentWritingChat.
People have really taken this chat and run with it. I have been shocked at the amount of engagement each of our chats gets! (In a really, really good way.)
Along with running the chat itself, we also post weekly recaps that condense all of the great ideas shared, featuring fantastic community responses to the questions we throw out each week.
Engaging our followers through a Twitter chat has really been fun – for both us and them.
Why not try creatively engaging your own followers with a similar idea?
You could start your own chat around a topic relevant to your brand. You could create your own hashtag and encourage followers to post with it, hold contests and giveaways through your accounts, and more. The only limit is how far your imagination can go.
TDLR; – A “Worth It” Social Presence Requires Elbow Grease
If you want traction on social media, you can’t just post a couple of links once in a while and expect anything good to happen.
Instead, you need to plan, set goals, do your research, and implement it all.
Once you start growing your presence on social, your content promotion and marketing will grow, too. The relationship is symbiotic – content marketing and social media can help each other out, and that’s ideal.
It’s also so, so worth it.
If you’re looking to take your social media presence to the next level, Express Writers can help you rock it out with expertly crafted social media posts and visuals. Get yours right here.
Social media is the popular kid on today’s marketing block.
For your business, it’s one of the most integral tools at your disposal.
Social media helps get you noticed – and stand out, if you’re creative enough to do your own thing, and mix in a little bit of social media platform knowledge on top of it.
It’s useful for promotion, engagement, and building a following.
The one key benefit social media does better than any other tool, for a business?
It humanizes your brand. It puts a face and a voice to a name. It makes you approachable, relatable, and trustworthy.
However, this is only possible if you’re using social media the right way.
Let’s talk social media & a nutshell guide on boosting your business for more ROI, customers, and action from your time there.
A Nutshell Guide to Boosting Your Social Media Presence for More Business & Return
If you want your business to have a voice and a presence, you’ve got to jump into social media and get going. Here’s how.
You’re a human being, and your audience wants to see evidence of that. If you don’t personally engage, you’re not providing that evidence.
Of course, you can’t engage without being approachable and friendly. Don’t keep yourself at a distance from your followers. Be real and be human!
This ties in nicely with my next tip…
2. Get Your Hands Dirty
To engage and be human, you have to get in there.
In short: do some work to build that relationship.
Get your hands dirty.
Start conversations yourself. Ask your followers questions, comment on others’ posts, and follow up personally.
A great example of this in action is the Twitter chat we host weekly, Tuesdays at 10 a.m. CST. It’s called #ContentWritingChat and it’s a fantastic way to talk to people about a topic we’re passionate about. Rachel, our Content Specialist/Social Media Manager, even writes weekly recaps on our site about the live chat hour.
It’s a favorite method of mine to nurture a lively, active community around a single social media event. Anybody can join in and give their opinions, advice, or insight.
To get conversations going, start your own Twitter chats surrounding a relevant topic. Engage industry voices as well as customers. The interaction that comes out of it will surprise and delight you.
Tag people in your posts – Tagging people in your posts is a good way to respond to their content and keep the conversation going. On Twitter, this is how you stay engaged.
Don’t forget to log in, yourself – Don’t let a “tool” be YOU. Don’t fall back on your scheduled posts via software, and let that be it. Remember to manually log in to your accounts, check your notifications, and respond to people.
Comment – Respond to people through comments, and start conversations through engaging with comments.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Get more customers + boost your business on social media with these tips from @ExpWriters!” quote=”Get more customers + boost your business on social media with these tips from @ExpWriters!”]
3. Set Goals for Interactions
If you find yourself forgetting to log-in or neglecting your business accounts for social media, start setting goals.
For instance, you might create a simple objective to have at least five interactions on social media each day of the work week. This forces you to pay attention to how you’re engaging and how much. You’ll understand where you need to improve and what you need to do it.
As you get better and more consistent about engaging, you can up your ante. Make your goals harder and keep track of your progress. Pretty soon, you won’t need goals to stay active and interactive on social.
4. Start Talking
It can feel intimidating to jump into social media and put yourself out there. This is especially true if you’re introverted or haven’t done much interacting online.
Don’t worry, though – you just need a place to begin.
To start engaging, you have to start talking. Here are some ideas:
Jump in on Trending Topics
If you want to get in on a larger conversation, post about trends and use hashtags. More importantly, tie together the trends with topics in your industry.
Take a look at how Denny’s used the Kentucky Derby to post and poke a little fun at the trending event at the same time. Plus, they reinforced their main draw: They have really good breakfast and really good pancakes.
Within the seated sections of Churchill Downs, the upper-crust don hats of elegance & style, a millinery of all shapes, tastes, and sizes. pic.twitter.com/pfkTV0MEJU
Along with casual events like Twitter chats, you can also host and celebrate any other event or holiday you like.
For instance, celebrate your business anniversary with a themed post and a coupon code for your online store. Or, honor a noted figure relevant to your industry with a post.
Out of Print did something like this in celebration of Cormac McCarthy’s birthday. They didn’t use the opportunity to self-promote. Instead, they created a graphic quote that appeals to their book-loving audience. It’s an interesting one that invites conversation. Plus, it’s totally shareable:
For the Best Social Media Conversations, Don’t Overthink It – Just Genuinely Be Yourself, & Be Present
All these social media tactics have one thing in common…
They’re fun.
If you’re not having fun chatting, sharing, and conversing on social media, you’re missing the point.
The point is to build relationships and enjoy interactions.
Be yourself – and be present!
If you don’t interact with a healthy bit of this friendliness and lighthearted attitude, it’s going to be harder for you to build trust. This means you won’t be using social media to its full potential, and that’s a shame.
And, if you don’t show up consistently, you won’t get anything real from it – just like in a real relationship.
In short, don’t overthink social media. If you go at it with the intention of enjoying the interactive elements, you’ll pull your audience in naturally. This means lots of interesting conversations, engagement, and time well spent for your business.
If you need a new playbook for your social media game, Express Writers can help. Check out our social media services that can lay the foundation for better engagement.
This week, Erik Fisher joined us as our guest host. Erik is the Social Media Manager over at Social Media Examiner, as well as a podcaster. We were excited to have him join us and share his expertise!
Q1: How do you find out which social media platforms are best for you to build a presence on?
With so many social media platforms available to us today (and even more being created), it can be tough deciding which ones to use. The truth is, you don’t have to be everywhere online. You just need to be where your audience is! Check out some of the social media tactics for best platform presence shared during the chat:
A1: Find the Venn Diagram of what platform you enjoy using and which platforms are optimal for your goals. https://t.co/NMmcR1Fgwc
Erik said to consider which platforms you actually enjoy using and which platforms are optimal for your goals. The platforms that fit both of those categories are great ones to get started on.
A1c: Also, where are you most comfortable engaging? Sometimes that’s the best place to start. #ContentWritingChat
Ray had similar advice to Erik. He also said to consider which platforms you are most comfortable using. For some of us, we naturally shine at one platform over another. For example, not everyone is comfortable doing a live streaming broadcast via Periscope or Facebook Live. Ray’s advice is to determine which ones work best for you.
A1: Do your research on each platform. What does your audience use most to interact and engage? #contentwritingchat
Choosing the right platforms for your brand will take a little research. You need to figure out which platforms your audience is most active on. That’s where you want to be.
You can even use a tool like BuzzSumo to help you determine where people are most frequently sharing content. Take a look at some sites that are in your niche and see where their content is shared most often.
A1. what are your goals, what type of business are you, what is the demographic for your ideal customer. 1/2 #contentwritingchat
A few things you may want to consider: the goals of your business, the type of business you’re running, and the demographic for your ideal customer. All of these things will help you select the right social media platforms to build a presence on.
A1: Experiment with each platform and see which one receives the most engagement. It’s all about trial and error. #ContentWritingChat
One of the best things you can do is to experiment with each platform. Give them a go for a bit and measure your results. Which ones work the best for you? Invest your time in those platforms.
A1: Majority of them are free, so try them out and see which ones get the most traffic. #ContentWritingChat
Our Content Manager, Katria, recommends giving a platform a try to see if it works for you. Since they’re free, it never hurts to test them out and see how it goes.
A1. Knowing your audience is the most crucial part! Different communities play [and buy] on different platforms. #ContentWritingChat
It all goes back to your audience. Where are they spending their time? Where are they engaging? You have to be where they are in order to reach them effectively.
A1 identify your TA. Search, look, listen, check where they hang out or what are their habits. Be there, join the convo #ContentWritingChat
Once you’ve figured out which platforms to use, you need to be active. Join the conversation with your audience! Great advice, Zala.
Q2: Share tips for creating great content on every one of your social media profiles.
If you want to build a presence on social media, you need to share great content. How can you make sure you’re sharing the best content every time? Here are a few tips:
A2: Learn what makes each platform’s posting unique, and master crafting micro content for that platform itself. https://t.co/bNXpRYCgtv
Erik knows that each social media platform is unique. You have to learn how to create the right kind of content for each platform. What works well on Twitter might not be great on Facebook or other platforms. You need to keep that in mind and adapt your content to the platform you’re sharing it on.
.@writingchat A2 consistency in story, relevant info, written for the channel, no duplicate content, use visuals #ContentWritingChat
Amanda said you have to be consistent with your story across all platforms. Make sure the content you’re sharing is tailored to the platform you’re using and is relevant to your audience. An eye-catching visual always helps, too!
A2: Customize your content for each platform! @Canva is a great tool for creating visuals for a number of platforms. #contentwritingchat
Cheryl said to understand the platform you’re using. She said data and numbers work well on LinkedIn, while funny or adventurous posts work well on Instagram. You just need to test and see what resonates with your audience.
A2. TIP: write succinctly. Activate their brain to want to click/read more. Asking a question is great on any platform. #ContentWritingChat
What’s a quick tip for getting your audience to engage? Ask a question! Our CEO, Julia, knows that if you ask a question and provide a link, it’s likely to make them want to click and read more. You can even ask a question (no link required) to get a conversation going.
No matter what, you need to make sure the content you share is relevant to your audience. If it’s not, they won’t want to stick around.
Q3: What’s a good ratio of sharing your own content vs. content from influencers/other sources?
When posting to social media, you shouldn’t share only your content 24/7. It can be a turn off for your followers if they think you’re only interested in yourself. You should mix it up by sharing content from other sources as well. So, what’s a good ratio for sharing? Check out these tips from the chat:
A3: Some say 80/20 percent rule. Others 30% yours, 60% others and 10 Reshares. That feels about right. https://t.co/wOXZLOXNbO
Erik said some recommend an 80/20 ratio. Others recommend sharing 30% your own content, 60% from others, and 10 reshares. You need to keep in mind the platform you’re using as well. You can post more to Twitter and Pinterest within one day.
A3 Never over-promote. But, customize your mix. Generally, we do 60/40 (60% our own, 40% curation/other sources). #ContentWritingChat
Julia said you should never over-promote. At Express Writers, we strive to share 60% our own content and 40% from other sources. In the end, you just need to see what works for you and your audience.
A3) I know a lot will say 80/20, but think it depends on the industry. The more unique your niche, the more about you. #ContentWritingChat
Erik knows live video is very popular right now. Your brand just might want to take advantage of it. You can share live videos on Periscope or on Facebook Live. He said images and video work on most platforms, but especially on Instagram and Pinterest.
— The Startup Scribe (@startup_scribe) June 28, 2016
Don’t forget to inject some personality into your social media content. It’s a great way to form a connection with you audience. Adding a little humor never hurts either!
A4) Snackable content. Think stats, infographics, lists and dynamic quotes. Let that direct them elsewhere for more. #ContentWritingChat
Erik said you should aim to serve your audience. Respond to them and be human. You should work to build a connection with your audience. And of course, you won’t see results if you aren’t consistent.
A5: Build a following by engaging with your audience. Constantly create original content and share great content, too! #contentwritingchat
Brandie said to do your research. Find out who you want to connect with and determine the type of community you want to build. It all starts from there.
@ExpWriters A5 – It’s like making friends – Be engaging, courteous, grateful and everyone once in a while, tell a funny #ContentWritingChat
GlobalHMA and Jeremy agree that you should think of it as if you were making friends in real life. You should be engaging, courteous, and grateful. Offer to help people. Be interested in what they’re saying. Be interesting yourself.
— The Startup Scribe (@startup_scribe) June 28, 2016
To build your presence, you should consider ways to expand your reach. Partner with influencers by getting involved in their conversations. It’s a great way to make connections with new people.
A5. Create a tailored audience ad based on your competitors or your web traffic. Join tweetchats 🙂 #contentwritingchat
If you’re willing to shell out some cash, you could even create a paid ad. Target your specific audience so they’ll see your advertisement in their feed. Alternatively, you can join a Twitter chat because they’re free (and awesome).
A5: Join industry-wide tweet chats, incorporate trending hashtags, follow influencers, and engage. I repeat, engage. #ContentWritingChat
Here at Express Writers, we also love joining Twitter chats as a way to make connections and grow our presence. It turns out the Elexicon team agrees with that, too! You can also use trending hashtags, follow influencers, and engage with your audience as ways to see growth.
A5: Try to engage in one-on-one conversations in order to build a solid following. #contentwritingchat
You should always be respectful of the opinions of others. If someone doesn’t agree with you, it’s not a reason to start an argument. That’s never okay.
A6: If you don’t have something constructive to say, keep it to yourself. #ContentWritingChat
Brandie’s advice is to always be nice to people. Remember to also give credit where credit is due. You cannot use someone else’s content without crediting them.
It may seem like obvious advice, but you should always read content before you share it. Kristen knows that many people are guilty of blindly resharing something without reading it first.
A6) Be tasteful first and foremost, and don’t purposefully hijack other people’s conversations. Add to but don’t replace #ContentWritingChat
Alberto said you should never spam your audience. You should also be kind, show respect, share content from others, and say thank you. Don’t go crazy with hashtags either.
A6 Etiquette: engage is a 2-way street, not a 1 lane highway. Give to receive. Add value, not spam. No Automated DMs #ContentWritingChat
— ShereeseM, MS/MBA (@ShereesePubHlth) June 28, 2016
Shereese said you should always engage with your audience. Provide value to them with the content you share. Skip the automated DMs.
A6) Try and respond to inquiries. So many wasted #custserv opps I’ve seen by companies to address reviews, for EX. #ContentWritingChat
Kyle recommends trying to respond to all inquiries you receive. If you ignore someone, it truly is a missed opportunity and could reflect poorly on you.
Cheryl knows those “fake” followers aren’t cool. Don’t follow someone and then unfollow simply because they don’t follow you back. That’s not cool at all.
Q7: Share tips on growing your overall online presence through your social profiles.
Social media is a great tool for growing your online presence and sending traffic to your website. Here are some great tips you should know:
Erik said you should respond and engage consistently on the platforms you’re using. Engaging your audience is essential if you want to make connections and grow your online presence.
A7) Be yourself! this is “social” media! Talk to the community! #contentwritingchat
Atulmaharaj knows a great bio is a must on social media. Use your bio to share information about yourself and what you do. It’ll help you attract the right followers. Make sure you’re also sharing great content your target audience would be interested in.
A7. Network both IRL & on social. Join FB communities, Twitter chats & LinkedIn groups relevant to your industry. #contentwritingchat
Kristen said to join Facebook communities, Twitter chats, and LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your industry. It’s a great way to connect with new people and generate awareness for your brand.
A7: Interact, engage, and build a relationship with your audience! #contentwritingchat
Kyle recommends connecting with like-minded people who you find to be valuable. Make sure you’re engaging with them on a regular basis.
A7 Use Lists & # s to target your specific audience. Post value info that highlight your competency w/o being hard sell #ContentWritingChat
— ShereeseM, MS/MBA (@ShereesePubHlth) June 28, 2016
Shereese said to use Twitter lists so you can target your specific audience. Make sure you’re sharing valuable information so people see you know what you’re talking about.
A7.Be consistent with your contents & presence, Engage with others,Respond to Inquiry,suggestion,comments,&Be thankful. #ContentWritingChat
Sabjan said to be consistent when it comes to posting content. Engage with your audience, respond to inquiries you receive, and be thankful.
@writingchat A7. Show that you’re human! Personality, humor, compassion, emotion, etc. Don’t be a robot. #contentwritingchat
— The Startup Scribe (@startup_scribe) June 28, 2016
Be human! Show your personality, be humorous, and show compassion and emotion. It helps people to connect with you.
Q8: Which platforms do you see becoming more popular in 2016?
Which platforms do you think are going to become more popular this year? You just might want to join them! Here’s what our chat participants had to say:
It looks like Amalia agrees, as she also sees Snapchat and Instagram growing in popularity this year. She also thinks Periscope will get bigger as well.
A8: Platforms that are incorporating live video will get the media exposure this year. #ContentWritingChat
The most popular platforms are the ones that will evolve with the audience. They need to be able to keep up with the times. We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM CDT for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!
Download your Free copy of How to Build a Valuable, Strong Social Media Presence For Your Brand that Earns Leads and Return
Based on what you know about them, which social network(s) do your personas use the most? Go there.
