How to use Social Media to Market your Business

Social media marketing is one of those trends that blew up but did not quite deliver as expected. This is not because the trend does not have potential, but more so because most people who try their hand at social media marketing get it wrong. It is also difficult to measure success on social media, especially in instances where brand building is the focus. Another challenge with social media marketing is the fact that most brands do their brand building the old-fashioned way. Their branded content, though high quality, is only thinly-veiled advertising, something social media users can recognize from a mile away. If that is the case, how do you promote your brand without spooking your audience? Try these three approaches.

Micro-Influencers

Influencer marketing is a powder keg when it comes to brand building. It can either make your brand blow up or blow up your brand. To get it right, start with micro influencers who share your brand values. These are both easy to find and affordable to work with. Look for influencers in your area of operation and who have a sufficiently engaged audience. Once you discover a few, approach them with your proposal and work out an agreement. The agreement should include images, videos, stories, giveaways, etc. You will, however, need to thoroughly audit posts that mention your brand to ensure the influencer stays on-brand in the posts that mention you.

Share Some Humor

Laughter is a universal language understood and appreciated by all. Most successful brands know this and focus a good deal of their social media marketing on this aspect. The reason humor works so well is that social media is designed to help people share light moments. Some of the most shared content on social media today are memes and funny videos and gifs. If you think about it, this is a massive opportunity for brand building. By using humor as a tool in your social media marketing toolkit, you can open your brand to more shares, a sense of warmth that your audience

feel towards you and so on.

Use User-Generated Content

User-generated content or UGC has been part of the fabric of the Internet from day one. It is, in fact, the main reason social media has blown up to where it is today. Social media gave people the ability to be creators and publishers. As a brand, UGC is a powerful medium you can use to promote your brand. Because your customers love nothing more than to see their own content promoted and appreciated, incorporating UGC in your branding efforts can lead to big wins. Use tools like hashtags, mobile apps, social share buttons, etc. to make it easy for your audience to share their content on your profiles. If you promote their content they will come to view you as a valuable part of their social circle and sphere of influence.

Brand building on social media is often a challenge because audiences always feel like brands only focus on themselves. This is perceived as self-centeredness and puts people off. For you to be successful in your social media efforts, you will need to reverse this and make your brand building all about your audience. Focus on them and make them feel like they matter to your brand, to their networks and to the world at large. The return on this investment is a brand that people not only recognize but also come to love and appreciate.

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