How to get the most out of your social media presence
We find it remarkable that here we sit, the rainy month of June 2019, and we still come across businesses and indeed clients who simply aren’t getting the most from their online presence. What’s even more shocking is that there are still businesses not using certain platforms whatsoever, therefore we have decided to offer a brief overview of the most accessible platforms, and some tips on how to successfully manage a responsive Social Media presence.
So, whether you’re starting a new business, or revamping the Social media platforms you already own, for us it’s vital that you start by asking yourself a series of questions. Firstly, what do you want to achieve via your social media platforms? Increased prospects, personal customer service, brand recognition etc. Of course, it’s totally possible to achieve all three but in our experience, having sight but no vision will often lead to hitting one of the many social media stumbling blocks. Secondly, what is going to be your voice? Far too often we see companies leading their social media in one direction, whereas their day-to-day branding points to a totally different postcode. So let’s begin our short but hopefully helpful incite to our favourite platforms.
Well, we feel bad saying this as we are so obviously drawn towards Facebook, especially following the 2010 biopic, but for us, its relevance company wise seems fairly limited, especially when looking directly at the platforms ‘pages’ feature which is where most company profiles are hosted. So what can you do? One of the great strengths of Facebook will always be the ability to market your company to your friends, and of course, things become viral very quickly on the platform. However you will often find a lot of the viral content will actually have originated on Twitter, but we will save that for later. So, yes, you can share things very easily, to a huge audience. That being said the pages themselves which hold your company’s presence, offer a rather brief overview of the menial yet important stuff, what you do, where you’re located, opening times etc. However one thing we would always suggest is to build your reviews on Facebook, there are lots of people around, and the nice things those wonderful people have to say about you appears brilliantly front and centre.
On the other hand, Twitter has quickly become the go-to platform for the savvy and increasingly witty business owner. With the larger companies amongst us actively hiring for those who can think on their feet to act as social media managers and in some cases a frontline comedic voice for the company. Twitter’s character limit forces a thoughtful response from business, and personally, we love this. Long gone are the days of endless emails from a customer service department, and step forward social media responsiveness. No other platform creates viral content quite like Twitter, therefore, having someone who knows their way around the platform at the helm of the ship is always helpful. In recent months we have seen the TFGM team take over with a flurry of viral posts based on witty travel information signs dotted around the city. If anything shows Twitter’s power it’s that example, could anything as boring than traffic be made viral anywhere else? We doubt it. The platform also makes sharing images just as accessible, meaning a good marketing campaign can always be harnessed successfully on Twitter. For example, if you think back a few years, Poundland ran with an incredibly tongue-in-cheek campaign which exploded over the Christmas period, involving the beloved elf on a shelf product in a number of compromising situations. What did they create? A campaign that is reposted and shared to this day, brilliant stuff.
Finally we will move on to the millennial marketeers paradise that is Instagram. Our favourite thing about Insta is the fact that the platform is constantly attempting to make itself a more beneficial business space. As Instagram evolves so do those running great immersive campaigns. Your company’s presence can skyrocket overnight when it comes to instagram due to the marketability of good imagery and an insightful outlook on business. Isn’t Instagram a playground for narcissism? Well, quite honestly, at times it is, and for a long time the success of businesses on the platform has boiled down to leveraging this type of behaviour. Immersive influencer campaigns are easily relatable for the mass market, especially when selling B2C. For a long time the fast-fashion industry has dominated the sponsored posts and ads of Instagram but we are now seeing a change. There are an increasing amount of interesting people out there who can push your brand in various directions, once again it’s the management of this which is the difference between great profit and great disappointment.
So, briefly how can you improve all three? Well work on those connections and friends on facebook, get your reviews up and take an in depth look at their Facebook Ads platform, it’s pretty great! For Twitter, work on your social voice, how and where do you want to be heard, and once you’ve been heard keep the consistency and relatability. Oh, and be witty…but not offensive. Instagram, well, learn how to take good photos, capture things people want to see and find out who could benefit your brand as an ambassador. Alternatively hire an agency who can do it all…we will be waiting to hear from you.
Are you looking for a team to help you with your social media? Then speak to our social media team in our Stockport offices.
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