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Liz Mackenzie

By: Liz Mackenzie on December 23rd, 2016

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Social Media Marketing Tricks That Will Attract Fans & Followers

Lead Generation & Growth Strategies | Content, Social & Digital Marketing | Marketing Automation

mailto:demo@example.com?Subject=HighRoad Solutions - interesting article

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If you've been in the business world for very long, the odds are high that you have received a request to connect with someone on LinkedIn, been added to a Twitter list or been notified of a virtual Facebook party.

And in the midst of launching a brand, hiring a team, finding office space, answering emails, paying bills and living life, you probably didn’t have time to peruse over every single request/invitation/message.

However, as an entrepreneur, you need people to read your messages. You want customers to visit your site. And you long for the day when the internet is buzzing with news about what your brand is up to, using numerous social sites and strategies to learn all about you.

To get to that point, you yourself need to make sure you’re taking necessary steps - like taking advantage of technology, showing your audience some love and keeping up with this constantly changing world - that will attract customers, clients, fans and followers...and keep them around.

Use social media effectively

In today’s digital age, almost every business/association out there (96 percent in a recent survey) is online, connecting to the 2.34 billion users on social networks. This means that potential customers, investors, employees and fans have instant access to your message - so make it good, by...

  • Building up your base: Make sure your brand has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. If you have visually appealing products, Instagram’s photo-sharing capabilities may be a good idea for you, too. You should also look into LinkedIn (for professional conversation), Google+ (especially if you want to offer a virtual tour of your workplace) and Pinterest (if your brand touches on many aspects, like fashion coinciding with beauty and accessories). Whatever accounts you choose should have cohesive profile photos, bios and information. 
  • Posting regular/relevant content: Once your profiles are set, you can start sharing news; link to your product/services, start a company blog people can turn to, share industry articles - and be sure to thank people for any social love, by replying/retweeting/liking/etc.
  • Adding in custom graphics, polls, contests and other eye-catching features: After you get into the groove of things, you’ll have followers who know what to expect from your pages and who enjoy your content. Take this all a step further by featuring your biggest fans (Think “Startup Spotlight”, “Feature Friday” or “Awesome Audience Awards”), creating surveys (for engagement and feedback) or hosting live Twitter chats.

Give Back to Your Audience

Regular posting is just the beginning of attracting customers. You want to keep people interested, have them suggest your business to others and turn their website visits into profitable transactions, and thankfully, social sites have numerous features that allow for this, as well as for better searches, contests/events and the sharing of other details you have to offer.

  • Go beyond a tweet: Hashtags (the number/pound sign) are an easy way for followers to find you. Say you have just started an organic food company, and you want to tweet about a new salad dressing; a possible tweet may read as follows… 
  • Reward loyal fans: Whether you’re just launching or your business has been established for some time now, you will notice repeat customers - those who faithfully order from you, who always like your social media posts and who need some attention themselves! One of the best ways to give back is to hold a giveaway; everyone loves free stuff, so offer up your product/service for FREE, to one lucky winner. 
  • Always have a purpose: Since you have a business in a certain field, people now expect you to be an expert in said field, and a great way to establish that leadership and knowledge is through a company blog and/or newsletter. Blog posts can be about anything relating to what you do, shared across platforms and embedded with keywords, so that more eyes see your website.

Newsletters keep your fans and followers up to date on who your team is, what new innovations are happening around the office, any press coverage/event appearances and industry tips. (Read how to take full advantage of marketing automation here!)

Evolve, Grow & Change

The world - full of technology and ideas and creativity and innovations - is constantly evolving, so you and your brand should be, too. From marketing techniques to how your office looks and what you offer, you should be thinking of new ways to stay fresh, exciting and attractive. The average consumer can be presented with as many as 35,000 choices a day; how will YOU stand out amongst competitors?

  • Find new ways of doing things
  • Implement these developments into your online presence/social sites
  • Continue to stand out as a thought leader 
  • Make these changes known 
  • Let your fan base grow with you
  • Never stop striving for success

The Takeaway

Okay. You’ve reached the end of a blog that just depicts the tip of the iceberg when it comes to finding new clients and keeping fans happy. While there are numerous things to consider when it comes to your audience, we love the accessibility, ease and sense of community these sites enable. There are so many social media platforms out there (Just look at this list!), and new ones keep popping up every day, so...

How is your brand currently using social media to build a true community of fans/followers? What tips are you taking away today to implement in your company? Connect with us to share your thoughts and ideas!