Tips to Diversify Your Social Media Efforts

It’s a fact. Every business – from small local shops to multinational companies – needs a strong social media presence. In this day and age, not having a social media presence is equivalent to not having a website. Not only can it help you connect with your target audience and increase brand awareness, but it can also help boost your leads and sales. However, due to increased competition and the constant fluctuation of social media algorithms, the entire landscape of social media has changed. If you really want to stay ahead of your competition and those dang algorithms, you need to diversify. Get a jump start with these helpful tips.

Be where your target audience is. There is no one-size-fits-all to social media. There are hundreds of social channels where you can have a presence, but is your target audience on all of them? Different channels exist to cater to different types of people. Depending on what type of content you produce, you need to find the right social channels that fit your brand and audience. Don’t invest time on channels where your target audience doesn’t hang out. Likewise, don’t miss out on reaching new people by not being present on the right channel.

Create content people actually want to see. If you want to stand out on social media, you can’t just copy content everyone else is posting. You must create content that attracts the target audience your brand wants to engage. Whether you’re trying to build yourself up as a thought leader or want to stand apart from your competitors, original content is exactly how you’re going to make it happen. By creating and posting unique content – blogs, infographics or eye-popping images – that adds value to your customer’s social media experience, you are more likely to draw in followers and keeping them coming back for more. Ultimately, you should strive to post content that forces your followers to stop in their tracks. There’s a lot of noise out on social media so make it a goal to break through it.

Engage, engage, engage. There’s nothing that will help you spread brand awareness like engagement. When people share your content, comment on posts, or write a comment about their experience with your company, they are starting the process of engaging with your brand. It’s up to you to interact and let them know you are listening. In doing so, people will be more appreciative of your brand and more likely to come back and engage in the future.

Make your presence known. Now that you’ve gone through the legwork of growing your social media presence, you need to let the world know. By incorporating your social feeds on your homepage or adding social icons to your email footers and business cards, anyone who interacts with your brand is only a click away from being a long-term follower.

Stay active. Don’t let your social feeds gather cobwebs! Make sure you are showing up every day with fresh, high-quality content that gets your audience engaged. There’s only a finite amount of time you can commit to social media, so use it wisely, and make the effort to participate enthusiastically and regularly. You’ll definitely notice a difference in how people respond to you, and that in turn will translate into more shares and retweets, better interaction, and of course more followers, which is what everyone wants.

Taking advantage of multiple channels to facilitate your message is key in today’s digital age. It’s pretty straightforward — the more people you reach and the more places you put something, the bigger response you’ll get. Certain channels will be more effective than others but diversifying your efforts will set your company up for long term success.