How to Build a Strong Social Media Presence

You have taken the time to invest in social media. You have even created and implemented a social media strategy. The hours spent researching and executing are tiring, but you know it’s worth the time and energy. After all, capturing the attention of today’s online consumer is critical to your business.

But, yet—your efforts are less than fruitful. Your tracking proves that engagement is low, and your conversions are even worse. So how can you improve your social media results?

Below are ten easy-to-put-in-place tips that you might not have thought of - but definitely should. Use them today to instantly improve social media results tomorrow!

1. Give your audience the content they crave

While much has been written about increasing social media engagement, one basic fundamental will always stand. Providing valuable content to a group of eager and hungry consumers will increase conversation and amplify your message.

Consistently analyze your analytics to assess what content resonates best. Do pictures, videos, or links perform better?

Adjust your strategy and your content when appropriate to keep your social media content fresh and your information relevant. Just look to experts like Ian Cleary with Razor Social and see how they add personality to social content effortlessly.

2. Offer valuable information

The single most effective way to build loyalty and trust is by sharing valuable and useful information with no strings attached. Make use of your expertise by giving away a series of useful tips.

Fluff is nice, but information that can be used to save money, make money, and win in negotiations will keep your audience tuned in and coming back for more.

3. Optimize your LinkedIn profile

Optimize your LinkedIn profile with keywords specific to your expertise and location. For example, if you specialize in short sales in Lexington, KY, your keywords would be “Short Sale Specialist Lexington Kentucky.”

These are searchable terms that allow people to quickly find you when searching real estate professionals in your area.

4. Leverage the power of Instagram

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so share your story across this visual medium. As one of the newer networks on the block, Instagram is rife with social media faux pas.

If you want to expand your presence over there, you need to know a few do’s and dont’s.

Instagram Etiquette Do’s and Dont’s

• Never ask people to follow you; leave them to their own initiative. Instead, work on the image you wish to project and let followers naturally connect with you.
• Be considerate and limit your number of posts. Nobody wants your content to fill up their entire feed.
• You get what you give. Engage with other people’s photos and give them a reason to engage with yours.
• Use hashtags where appropriate, but don’t use hashtags that aren’t relevant to your photo.

As Sue B. Zimmerman, aka The #InstaGal says, Instagram is a goldmine of a business-building tool that you don‘t want to overlook.

However, don’t just grab content for the sake of posting something. Be strategic and tailor your content to the network and your audience.

This.Is.Biggggg Scheduling Instagram posts is now a reality with #Hootsuite!

As social media managers this is one of the most common problems and questions we've had to address. Scheduling with other apps has been questionable at best but with @hootsuite in the mix we finally have a safe solution!

Annnnnnnd I'm even more thrilled that they are contributing to my brand new online program Insta Academy. Doors are now open for a very limited time!

Click the link in my bio to learn more about the upcoming 9 week program for social media managers. @theinstagramexpert

A photo posted by Instagram Expert is #Sue? (@theinstagramexpert) on Aug 5, 2015 at 9:55am PDT

5. Incorporate eye-catching images and video

Consumers are visual. If you want to quickly capture their attention, add images that are eye-catching and pleasing to the eye.

Include Infographics, quotes, behind-the-scenes images of your business, local attractions within your area, charts explaining market trends, industry news, or video tips.

Each option will allow your audience to obtain the message in a visual format, giving them a richer media experience.

Look to Nike as an example of one brand benefiting from the early adoption of visual marketing. Their clever use of visual content, especially on Instagram, has created a flurry of activity.

Take a look at their profile and you’ll see how they’ve woven brand imaging, messaging and hashtags into a very effective strategy.

You can quit. Or you can quit complaining. Find your fast at Nike.com/Zoom

A photo posted by Nike (@nike) on Jul 20, 2015 at 9:20am PDT

6. Ask thought-provoking questions

Engaging social media fans and followers requires that you branch out from simply pushing out content. People want more, and in order to connect with you, they will require that you give more.

If you want to get your audience involved, you will need to ask questions, offer advice and give valuable insight. Your goal is not to simply entertain but to make your audience think and want to respond.

Ask questions that inspire, ignite, and fuel conversation.

7. Monitor your reputation

Monitoring your online reputation is an incredibly important part of your strategy. Stay on top of what is being said about you and your business and respond proactively. Social media should not be a bullhorn, used only to attract and convert leads.

Instead, use your social media channels and other available online tools to listen in on conversations and maintain the established offline reputation you have worked so hard to build.

8. Use Twitter to drive website and blog traffic

Twitter can be used to increase traffic to your website or blog through thoughtful and strategic sharing.

Two strategies to increase website visibility:

• Tweet Your Latest Post: Notify your Twitter followers of your latest post by tweeting it as soon as you hit publish.
• Hashtags: Identify relevant hashtags based on industry, niche, and location. Use hashtags within your tweets to place your content in front of a larger audience. Use Twitter Advanced Search to find top searches performed by and hashtags used by your target market.

9. Create an integrated social media campaign

As a business professional, social media should complement your overall marketing strategy. This means weaving traditional marketing and online or social marketing into a long-term plan and allowing each to support one another.

The best way to go about this is by adopting an integrated social media campaign for your business. Creating an omni-channel social media marketing campaign means linking your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, and YouTube accounts to your overall marketing strategy.

This combines email marketing with landing pages and sales objectives so that all roads lead to your goals. It also means that no matter where your potential client might be, they are able to find and connect with you.

Accomplish this by adding social media links to your Facebook fan page, including all social links within your email signature and adding social buttons to your website and blog.

10. Use an editorial calendar

Tired of staring blankly at the computer screen, agonizing over what to post to your social media channels? You need an editorial calendar!

An editorial calendar is an incredibly useful social media tool that creates consistency by acting as your posting roadmap. Taking the time to create a calendar allows you to post on purpose, rather than using social media in a hit-or-miss way.

Final thoughts

Social media requires investment. An investment of your time and energy. Are you willing to go the extra mile?

Make a commitment today to put a system and strategy in place to grow your business through an active and vibrant social media presence.

This post was originally written by Rebekah Radice and shared on Maximize Social Business