Red rover, red rover, let Authenticity come over!
The time of formal, polished pitches and one-way communciation channels with customers is long behind us. You now have more opportunity than ever to interact with your customers and build your brand. On the other hand, there is also more room to fail or get left behind. The secret to success lies in optimizing your social media marketing to communciate with your target market in an authentic and engaging way.
If your business had a voice, what persona would it exemplify? Would it radiate sophistication like Emma Watson? Set trends like Khloe Kardashian? Inspire like Morgan Freeman? In any case, we are ready to meet them!
To help you with your debut, we've identified 10 tips/secrets that will help you bring your business to life on social media.
1. FIND YOUR VOICE -
Drop the polished pitch and be yourself! Successful social media marketing is centered around personality, so don’t be afraid to showcase your company’s fun side!
2. USE YOUR "BEST" VOICE -
Now that we’ve established that you should let your inner freak flag fly, let’s take it down a notch. In other words, don’t just be yourself, be your best self. Every piece of content should reflect your company’s goals and values, so it’s best to keep controversial topics and/or profanity to a minimum.
3. MATCH YOUR TARGET MARKET'S LINGO -
Find the right mix between APA, MLA, LOLs, and OMGs. When considering what tone or writing style to use, start by first identifying what market you’re trying to reach. Now, mirror them.
4. KEEP YOUR BUSINESS AND PERSONAL PAGES/PROFILES SEPERATE -
This one will help you avoid a ton of problems in the future, trust me.
5. PUT A FACE ON IT -
Add photos of staff members, post photos of your company’s Christmas party, or even wish an employee Happy Birthday online. Your staff will feel appreciated and you’ll gain credibility from your customers. It’s a win/win.
6. DON'T BE BASHFUL, TELL YOUR STORY -
Now that your company has a face and a voice, let’s give it history. How did your company start? What was the inspiration behind it? How about current stories - what has your company achieved recently that’s worth sharing?
7. CHOOSE THE CORRECT PLATFORMS -
Focus your time on the platforms that are most utilized by your target market.
8. OPTIMIZE YOUR MESSAGE FOR EACH PLATFORM -
Customize your strategy for every unique platform to take advantage of each platform’s strengths.
9. INCREASE ENGAGEMENT BY BEING STRATEGIC IN YOUR FREQUENCY AND TIMING -
Consider how often your target market wants to hear from you. What time do they normally check their social media profiles? Once you have those answers, create a strategy that fits.
10. MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE SYNERGY IN YOUR BRAND -
While it’s important that you customize your marketing efforts to best fit whatever platform you’re using, be careful not to deviate from your core brand. In fact, think of each marketing tool, channel and platform as a piece of the puzzle that together perfectly represent your company’s mission, values and vision.
To summarize, remember your first day of kindergarten when your mom told you to be yourself and everyone would love you? That advice still stands. We know how sharp, charismatic and fun your business is. Now it's time to introduce that personality to the world!
