Having a great social media presence can help your business flourish while protecting your wallet. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest have become highly active networks to help businesses gain recognition. Hubspot found that “92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was important for their business, with 80% indicating their efforts increased traffic to their websites.” This shows that a well thought-out strategy could improve your social media presence and grow your business.

Here’s how to  improve your professional social media presence:

Identify Goals and Objectives

It is important to identify your goals and objectives before you start growing your social media presence. Take into account who your audience is while understanding their needs and how it can tie into your business. Your news feed should portray valuable and relevant content for your audience. Knowing what interests them can shape your objectives and goals- while driving traffic to your website.

Use Hashtags Frequently

Hashtags are a crucial part of social media. They help label content to be discovered and even help you find relevant people or businesses. Using hashtags in your post can create awareness by simply connecting and engaging users on social media, which could potentially lead to an increase in followers and shares.

Don’t go overboard on hashtags! Keep in mind to effectively use hashtags you must keep it relevant and trendy. Before using a hashtag, always conduct a search to see if it is popular and used for the right reasons- sometimes it may be misinterpreted or considered spammy.

Eye-Catching Images/Video

Today, capturing images is incredibly popular. People can easily take a photo or a video with their phones and upload it to social media within seconds. Images are considered “attention grabbing content” since it can quickly portray an experience that the audience can understand and relate to, as opposed to text. It was found that 53% of photos on Facebook generate more likes than a text-based post.

An image is a great way to share your business’ story or message to attract your audience. Remember to make your content original, interesting, and focused. Here are some images you should include in your feed:

• Your Product: Don’t just talk about what you offer- but show the audience your business and brand. Amata, in particular, uses Instagram to capture the brand, services, amenities, and community to give our prospective clients a glimpse of who we are.
• Engagement In Events: Capture an action shot image of your clients or team members at a conference, training seminar, or lunch & learn event. This can be seen at Amata’s events where a photographer is taking photos of our members and then posting it on social media. This helps enrich our online community appearance.
• Fan Shout-Out: Shine the spotlight on your followers! Ask your followers to use a promotional hashtag or tag your page after taking an engaging photo that portrays your business product or service. Amata, for instance, uses images captured at events and tags the appropriate business that was sponsored. This can help generate engagements and drive impressions back to your website.

A video can provide your audience with a unique storyline of your business. Similar to posting images a video can enhance your content strategy. Here are a few ways you can use a video:

• Live-Feed: Keep your followers up-to-date with your daily business activity. Use features such as Facebook live or Instagram story to capture events that your business host or sponsors. Amata, for example, shares a live video feed of every lunch and learn event on Facebook and uploads them to YouTube for future reference.
• Testimonials: Your existing customers are the most influential to prospects. They can help advocate your business story, so shine the spotlight on customers who want to speak on behalf of your business. This can be seen on Amata’s testimonial webpage and its Youtube channel where it has it showcases testimonials in a playlist. We love to hear what our customers have to say about us! It gives us a chance to learn what areas need to be improved and what we’re currently doing well.

It’s time to take the tactics above and implement them into your business’ social media strategy. Studies have shown nearly one-third of the world uses social media networks regularly. Get onboard today to maximize your potential reach to grow your business.

For more information on Online Reputation Management and Campaigns, contact Connections Marketing, a valued Amata member and trusted vendor.