The internet is a big place. Even if you’re trying to grow your business’ presence on social media, you need to find a way to break through the noise and get potential customers to see your business. If you’re not having any success with your current strategy, it might be time to mix things up a bit.
You can put together a unique social media strategy that will set you apart from the rest of your industry and even other top brands. Read our ## points below that will help you find ways to break through the fray and make a name for yourself on social media.
Jump on Trends
Certain trends hit social media in a flash then go away. This is your chance to increase the number of eyes that see your posts for several days. You can do this by creating a post relevant to the trend but still fits your brand, then include the trending hashtag. Those who are looking for posts within the trend will see your post.
An important piece of advice to keep in mind is that you need to understand the trend as well as what the hashtag says. Not all trends are good for business and some companies using certain hashtags won’t go over well. For instance, the British baking company Warburton’s once accidentally used a hashtag associated with a convention for people dressed as anthropomorphic cartoon animals for a holiday Instagram post highlighting recipes.
Build a Community
Invite people into your world. The more they want to be involved, the more they’ll want to support your business. It doesn’t matter if your products and services are meant for the masses or an elite group of spenders, you can create a social media community that makes them feel special. Whether it’s a private Facebook group, private Instagram feed, or YouTube videos that are meant specifically for your people. They’ll feel more connected to you and want to be a part of what you’re doing.
Get Weird
Getting weird on social media can draw massive amounts of attention, but it’s important to know where the line should be drawn. Excessive oddities might attract the wrong type of crowd, but those who understand the joke will be loyal for as long as you keep it running. An example of this is Slim Jim’s brand account on Instagram. The admin has created multiple running jokes that followers look to identify in each post. While Slim Jim is an established brand of meat snacks, its Instagram has a loyal following of 1.3 million users.
Go Live
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will all let you go live on their platforms so you can speak directly to your customers to highlight a product, announce a product launch, or any other reason you see fit. This is a great way to get your followers to engage with you and your business at the drop of a hat.
This is effective because Instagram and TikTok will send notifications to the lock screen of users to let them know when an account they follow goes live. TikTok takes it a step further and drops random live streams into the For You feed of people who don’t even follow the account. Additionally, Facebook puts live streams right at the top of a user’s feed so they know right away when someone is live. YouTube features live streams of channels you’re subscribed to at the top of its recommended page so you don’t miss it.
The one major drawback to planning a live stream is that YouTube and TikTok have specific requirements users must meet. Both have requirements that include 1,000 subscribers or followers on the platform as well as further stipulations. However, you can work around the restriction on YouTube by using a streaming service like StreamYard, which will still broadcast your stream to the platform as well as others that you choose.
Know Your Content Limits
It’s easy to get overzealous about creating content and want to throw a whole bunch out to the world at once. It’s important to pace yourself for the sake of your followers. There’s an appropriate amount of posts for each platform that will keep you relevant while also keeping your followers.
For example, if a company that does Mercedes key replacement wants to post photos of cars all day on Instagram, they’re going to lose followers. One or two posts a day on Instagram is sufficient. Conversely, they can tweet several photos of Mercedes-Benz models throughout the day because most tweets get half of their interaction within the first 30 minutes of getting posted. Beyond that, they tend to sink into the ether of Twitter.
That being said, it’s not a bad idea to blitz a platform periodically. Spend five to seven days posting several times throughout the day to help algorithms catch your content and put it in front of your targeted users. This most certainly works well with TikTok and Twitter. You can also post several reels and stories to Instagram to help increase your visibility.
Collaborate
Take advantage of the following other brands have by working with them on a social media post. This doesn’t mean that you need to run out and find social media influencers or work with your competitors. Reach out to a company outside of your industry and work together on a short social media campaign. This can include making videos together, giving away a coveted item, or marketing a product that is a mashup of your two brands.