Thursday, March 9, 2017

Grow Your Social Media Presence: 6 Unconventional, Powerful Resources



It is no secret that having a great social media following is becoming increasingly important for businesses in nearly every industry. And while you can certainly do well with a smaller, niche audience, you should always strive to attract more followers and subscribers. Here are some unconventional resources and tactics you can use to grow your social media presence.


1. Advertise through your apparel


According to a study by Funders and Founders, the average person meets approximately 80,000 people over the course of his or her life. Why not leverage your daily interactions by using your apparel to get your name out there? Print your social media handle on hats, shirts, or other appropriate merchandise as a way to advertise your brand when you are running errands or working out at the gym. In an effort to attract the ideal prospect, you can even add a succinct one-liner that describes your business.


2. Use your vehicle as a billboard


As a small business owner, you can use your car as a moving billboard that calls attention to your social media accounts and your company as a whole. When using this method, make sure that your text is large enough so that other drivers can read your advertisement with ease. As the average driver travels an estimated 13,476 miles per year (according to the Federal Highway Administration), advertising on your car allows you to reach prospects in your local market on a daily basis.


3. Leverage your competition


Your competitors can actually help your business flourish in unexpected ways. As a small business owner, it is valuable for you to interact with your rivals' existing followers by resharing a relevant comment or by engaging them in conversation. Additionally, spying on your competition can help you to improve your own social media strategy. Ask yourself: Is your competitor's following larger than yours? If so, why? Do your competitors receive greater attention by writing a certain type of content, using more multimedia or posting at a specific time of day? These are just some of the many questions that can ultimately help you determine how to grow your social media presence.


4. Use powerful aggregation tools

With the vast amount of social networks available today, keeping up with each platform can be difficult. Growing your social media presence requires consistency, and this is where mass social aggregators come in. Tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social allow you to manage all your social media profiles from a single dashboard, and even schedule updates at timed intervals. Moreover, their detailed analytics reports give you the power to measure your social performance and make smarter marketing decisions as your audience grows.


5. Contribute to charitable organizations


Working with a charitable organization is one of the most meaningful and rewarding things you can do as a small business owner. As an added bonus, these partnerships are a great way to spread the word about your brand.

Perhaps your company could sponsor a local soup kitchen event or clothing drive. By doing so, you could truly make a difference in your community. Ask the organizations you work with to tag you in relevant social media posts to create community goodwill. At the same time, you could leverage any print or online materials regarding the event to expose potential customers to your company. For example, you could get your logo on the official event website to link to your social media profiles, which could help you connect to a new audience.


6. Take advantage of online venues


While exploring unconventional resources is always ideal, you should not neglect the many smaller, laser-targeted communities that flourish online. Dig deeper into social media by interacting in various niche corners, including Facebook and LinkedIn groups, as well as forums where your audience tends to spend time online. As more people join your social media community, you will have more opportunities to engage with potential customers regarding special deals and promotions.

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