Ah, social media! With its promise of gaining a massive following, global stardom and worldwide business success, social media does seem like the pot of gold at the end of the marketing rainbow. However, like finding this mythical array of riches, being successful on social media websites and platforms is a difficult thing to accomplish. All too often, the brightest ideas can fall flat because the right audiences haven’t had the chance to see them. If you’re looking to become the next YouTube sensation or you want to make your social media marketing work a bit harder for your brand, here are six foolproof tips for success in this arena.
- Plan
Before you start spamming the Twitter feeds of strangers or releasing your first ever Instagram live video to an unsuspecting world, it’s critical that you plan out what you’re trying to say and who you’re trying to reach. Despite all their virtual wizardry, social media platforms are like any other marketing medium — you can only make them work for your brand if you know what you’re doing with them.
Create a plan for your posts and content, but don’t be afraid to get strategic about who you follow and who you invite into your online presence. And make sure you take full advantage of the wide range of tools (especially, FREE!) out there to help you get organized. Resources like Hootsuite and Zoho help you automate some aspects of your promotions and project management in an effective way. Tools like these also help you measure the impact of your message as well as ensuring that message gets to the right people.
- Surround Yourself with People You Trust
Even if your dream for social media is to become the next Jeffree Star, you’re not going to reach those dizzying heights alone! Similarly, if you want to get results out of social media that boost your business and brand, you need to make sure that you have a team onboard who is behind you every step of the way.
- Keep Your Content Fresh and Engaging
Always bear in mind that your social media channels are, to viewers anyway, just like a television station. They’ll tune in at the same time every day or week in the hope that they’ll find fresh, new content that keeps them entertained or informed, but more importantly, engaged.
Let’s look at Twitch for example. This content streaming site is universally popular, but it’s online gamers like poker ace Lex Veldhuis, who have built up a dedicated following of regular viewers. If your goal is to become an influencer on a content-sharing platform like Twitch or YouTube, you need to nail your content strategy from the get-go.
- Interact with Your Fans and FollowersNo matter what your goals are for using social media, you’re going to want to keep your fans and followers onboard. One of the simplest ways to do that is to interact with them. As well as creating content that you feel ticks all the boxes as far as informed entertainment goes, make sure you listen to what your audience has to say. Read the comments that people leave on your blog posts and social media channels, and don’t be afraid to ask them what they want to see.
- Collaborate
Online communities are just that, and like all communities, the simplest and most effective way to reach more people is to collaborate. Don’t be afraid to approach leaders in your field and ask them to collaborate with you. You could even interview them in an article or video — they’ll get the opportunity to promote a project or product, and you’ll be exposed to a much wider audience of ready-made fans. As long as you choose collaborations that are in line with your values as a brand, business or influencer, there are an unlimited amount of ways that you can make them work.
- Switch OffSure, social media is one of those mediums that is permanently switched on, but humans aren’t. Honestly, you’ll get a lot more out of your social media marketing efforts if you learn to switch off now and again. Even the most “out there” influencers set limits on what they will and won’t share. You don’t have to promote your brand 24/7 or make a Snapchat about everysnack and meal you’ve eaten today! Take time out for yourself once a week and focus on living your real life instead of thinking about your online one.
