How to Establish a Social Media Presence

Finding your groove on social media takes a lot of effort and time. You have to figure out who your audience is and what content they’re most likely to view. Business owners must also find ways to get their material in front of the right people at the perfect time. Establishing a successful social media presence requires effort, time, more effort, testing and continuous changes. 

When you think about brands most active on social media, you likely have a few favorites come to mind. Perhaps a local dinner theater posts daily. They run contests, ask questions, share info about new shows and engage with their followers. 

Consider a few of your favorites and study what they do to learn from their efforts and successes. If something seems to flop and they have a similar audience to yours, nix that idea. Here are the steps to create a strong social media presence and drive sales to your website. 

1. Set Your Goals and Budget

The Wall Street Journal took a deep dive into digital marketing budgets. They found companies spend around 17% of their total promotional fund on social media. In the next five years, experts predict the number will hit 26.4% or higher. 

Make a list of measurable goals you’d like to achieve through social media marketing. Set aside a portion of your marketing dollars and where you’ll use them. How much will you spend on social media platform advertising? How much to content creators? Will you work with influencers? 

You can make some predictions and change them later. For now, get the goals on paper so you have something to work toward.

2. Define Your Target Audience

Who is your typical customer? The goal of any marketing is to reach those who are most likely to buy your products or services. Where are they most likely to hang out? If your buyers are mostly middle-aged women, you may want to establish a presence on Pinterest. Younger generations may be more likely to hang out on Snapchat or TikTok. 

Write out as many details as possible and create a buyer persona that aligns with your typical customer. List gender, age and income. Give your mock person a name and profession. Aim any material you publish at the mockup. 

3. Study Platforms

Take time to read details about each social media platform you’re considering. How many people use the site each day? Are they likely to buy from ads placed on the platform? 

You should also pay attention to where competitors have an active presence and the types of content they create. The things you post on Facebook will vary from what you put on Instagram. Know the audience and the preferences of each platform for maximum engagement. 

Around 51.4% of marketers plan to increase social media spending. However, you can spend a lot of money without any results unless you have a plan and understand what’s possible. 

4. Set a Content Calendar and Style

Small business owners have a ton of hats they must wear. They’re responsible for ordering new products, serving customers and training employees. Finding time to keep up with a social channel or two seems almost impossible. However, they may not yet have enough revenue to hire someone to do the work for them.

Having a calendar in place ensures you can schedule posts ahead as you have extra time. You can also set up a style guide so each post is almost mindless. You know you post a quick tip on Mondays and a special sale on Fridays. A calendar and set style takes the guesswork out of coming up with new social content. 

5. Look Professional

Take your time creating a professional looking profile for your business. Include a profile photo that shows the company logo. Add a header with branding details. Fill in all About information so people can find your website and contact information easily.

Your social media page might be the first impression people have of your brand. You want them to see you in a positive light. 

6. Find Your Voice

Everything you post should have a similar tone and attitude. Think about the message you want to send about your brand. For example, if you run a clothing company for teens, you might want a fun vibe. On the other hand, if you provide financial services for seniors, it would be best to have a more serious tone. 

Consider companies such as Wendy, who have a youthful, snarky tone on Twitter. Dove presents strength and inclusivity. Skittles is slightly goofy and filled with fun.  Choose the tone for your brand and stick to it. People should recognize your posts even without your name attached. 

7. Engage Users

Consumers spend about 40% more when brands engage on social platforms with them. Make sure you respond to every comment. If someone shares a link to one of your posts, go on their wall and thank them for sharing. Ask questions to ramp up the discussion.

You can get your employees, family and friends involved. Just avoid being sketchy and making them look like fans when they are related or employed. Ask them to be upfront about their relationship but it’s still okay to share why they like your brand.

People are much more likely to listen to their peers than anything you say, even if they are related to you in some way. It is probably best to leave reviews to customers without personal ties, though.

One example might be you go on Facebook and share the history of the company and a major milestone recently hit. Your cousin says, “So glad you started this business and love it so much. Proud of you!” 

Their comments and your response are favorable to Facebook’s algorithms and more of your followers see your content. They engage and it bumps it more. Social media success is about investing time more than any other factor. 

Build Your Social Media Presence

Juggle as many of the variables as possible and provide content your readers are likely to enjoy. When you find something that gets a ton of engagement or results in site visits, repeat it with a similar post. Over time, you’ll be able to study the analytics and see which elements work best for your users.