We have all seen the large number of Twitter followers and Facebook likes some large companies and celebrities have. Which makes you think, did the popularity of the brand come first or was it a result of the large following from social media?

It is the classic chicken or the egg analogy, and if you are a small startup you don’t have the luxury of brand recognition – yet. Having an online presence is crucial for any business. It allows real time communication with current customers and can be used as a lead generation tool for your products and services. However there are strategies and tactics involved in having an effective social media presence online. It takes more than a few Facebook posts or timely tweets to gain your customer’s loyalty and referrals.

Here are five tips to help your business develop an influential voice online:

1. 1. Identify social media avenues – Not all social media platforms are the same. Identify if you are a B2C or B2B business first. If your products or services are directly being sold to consumers, then Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are your best bets. If you are a B2B business, having a strong LinkedIn network allows for social proof and access to important decision makers in the other companies you want to conduct business with.
2. 2. Interact – The point of social media is to connect with other people and have a conversation online. While it is useful to post important information about your latest products, being able to interact with customers and other companies is much more important. Half of your time should be spent creating relevant posts while the other half should be spent prospecting for potential clients and influencers to share your information.
3. 3. Provide valuable information – People are naturally drawn to what’s important to them. By providing valuable posts on social media, you are setting yourself apart from businesses who casually update their Facebook or LinkedIn. People are more likely to share your ideas, thus helping your brand grow even further.
4. 4. Be consistent – Building a business takes work. Building a loyal customer base is no different. The consistency of your social media presence is a reflection of your business. The more value and reliability you add, the more people will rely on you for information. Those leads become your customers.
5. 5. Be tactical with timing – Identify where your customers are located and cater to when they’re online the most. If you are an ecommerce business and the majority of your orders come from halfway across the globe, you have to be mindful of when your posts will be seen. Facebook has analytics for their business pages that tracks where site hits originate. Use this to your advantage and create timed posts. Take into consideration relevant cultural holidays and events. Always remember to cater to your audience.

Still unsure how to get started? Let us help. We can create an A to Z social media marketing plan for your business needs. From creating original content to analyzing metric performance and creating YouTube videos, our firm is here to help. Email us at service@artemia.com for a free analysis of your internet marketing plan.