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4 Ideas to Grow a Social Media Audience

posted by Michael Epps Utley Michael Epps Utley
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In 2020, WeAreSocial reported that there are over 3 billion social media users globally, and that number has continued to rise. By now, it’s obvious that social media isn’t a fad. But is it a viable lead source?

Short answer: yes. One report by Global Web Index (GWI) shows that social media users are looking at branded content 15-20% of the time when using social media. With global usage climbing, this is good news for your brand and your business.

Taking advantage of a growing social media audience with intentional marketing strategy makes you more likely to get a slice of the pie when it comes to lead generation via Facebook, Instagram, and other popular platforms.

GoEpps clients have seen success when building social media marketing best practices into their campaigns. The new year is a great time to be sure nothing is missing from your social media growth plan.

4 SOCIAL MEDIA GROWTH IDEAS

1. Know Your Audience

Most companies have at least a general idea of who their current audience is, and of what type of customers they’d like to bring to their brand. But specificity, detail, and data are a must if you want your social media channels to be optimized for better performance and improved lead generation.

Your social media plan can help you identify:

  • Current Audience by Demographics
  • Level of Audience Engagement
  • Gaps in Social Media Sharing or Engagement Across All Channels Where You Have a Presence
  • Specific Influencers and Thought Leaders That Align Well with Your Brand
  • Detailed Steps for Influencer Outreach and Engagement

This information can be found using analytics dashboards, which are readily accessible on any social media platform where your business has an active profile.

2. Know Your Keywords

Keyword research is important when optimizing for search, including social media search tools. To that end, we recommend thorough keyword research as part of the foundation of any successful keyword strategy.

Here are a few ways you can do this:

  • Use Product and Service Keywords, Including Branded Keywords, in Hashtags/When Tagging Content
  • Boost Local Discovery with Geotags
  • Be Active on Local/Industry Pages, Groups, and Forums

While you can get some keyword insights from social media platforms, we suggest bringing in additional firepower with keyword research tools like SpyFu and SEMRush. They’ll be a guide for which keywords to work into your social channels, and can give you a glimpse into your competitors’ keyword strategy.

3. Stick to Your Branding

For many consumers, social media is the first place they get to know a business. That’s why branding is so important when planning social media marketing.

Make sure you take these steps along the way:

  • Set a Clear Creative Standard for Each Channel and Its Content
  • Use High-Quality Images and Filters
  • Keep Posts Clear and Relevant

Social media is a great place to solidify your brand online, and you can make each channel unique to your brand tone and personality.

4. Stay Active and Interesting

Regular posts that can be immediately associated with your brand can build credibility with regular social media users, and trust with new ones. Try these ideas for boosting engagement with your followers:

  • Engaging Target Followers by Finding Them Through Similar Pages, Following Them, and Engaging with Their Content
  • Taking a Similar Approach by Engaging Competitors’ Followers
  • Using “Boosted” and Sponsored Posts to Highlight Critical Campaigns and High-Demand Products/Services
  • Scheduling Consistent, Valuable Content and Making That Content Unique Among Social Channels Whenever Possible

Keep in mind that, while uniqueness is important, and scheduling is a must, a little spontaneity never hurts. Don’t be afraid to have fun with trends, memes, relevant popular hashtags, or user-generated content if your audience enjoys those things.

Overall, time, effort and a data driven approach can help you create a valuable user experience across social media platforms and profiles.

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