Building a Valuable Social Audience
Social media initiatives, when executed correctly, can be an extremely valuable way to build a business’s brand and lead generation, but without a strategic approach, it can be a vain waste of time and resources.
How to Build Socials Strategically:
Create content specifically for your target demographic. To clarify this in your mind and guide your carefully crafted messaging, define your user personas.
Choose one key network to focus on at first and devote your energy to growing that audience. A/B tests different tactics, visuals, keywords, hashtags, etc to measure and iterate on what works. When you pay close attention to one outlet and one goal, you can calibrate faster.
Consistently post at least once a week. Social networks and search engines favor fresh content and active accounts. If you don’t have the discipline to keep bringing your audience value, they don’t have much of a reason to be a follower.
Just like exercise, it gets easier. Once you get good at posting 1x a week, shift up to 2x a week. Just don’t do too much too fast because if you burn out and drop off, so will your audience.
Tag related partners and allies. Ask people to weigh in and comment on their feedback. Engagement is everything so don’t treat your post like a one-way mirror. Let your audience know you are there for them to communicate with and that will build trust and rapport.
Don’t obsess about the numbers. Attracting the right 1k people is better than 10k bots. People can detect fake activity easier than ever; it deteriorates brand trust and is offputting to potential clients. True engagement attracts more interest organically.
Be authentic. You offer a unique value by using your differentiated voice and perspective. Sharing other people’s content is great on occasion, but don’t rely on it. Create case studies from your own ideas, work, and experience.