The world of social media marketing can sometimes be a confusing and overwhelming one. There are millions of social media accounts out there so how will you get noticed? When you look and see that many accounts are “spam accounts” (ones that are only used to trick people into clicking certain links) it can seem even more difficult to reach your audience online through social media marketing.
Don’t worry. The situation isn’t as bad as it looks.
Whether you’ve just signed up for a Facebook or Twitter account or whether you’ve had one for years, it’s important that you determine your target audience and focus your efforts on reaching that audience. If you’re a blogger, you may want to reach other influential bloggers in your niche. If you’re a company selling a product or a service, your audience is your potential customer base. If you’re using social media to find a new job, your audience is companies that you would like to work for.
Whoever your audience is, you need to determine who they are and then target them through your Facebook and Twitter postings.
Here are a few ways to reach and connect with your desired audience through social media.
Follow People
This is especially true if you’re starting a new account. Follow or friend people with similar interests and those who you consider a part of your target audience. Don’t just mass-follow everyone you can think of though. Be selective and build an audience over time. Eventually, if you’re putting out good content, these people will follow you back.
That brings me to the next point…
Write Interesting Content
Social media content writing is a lot like website content writing, just shorter (in most cases.) You’ll need to create interesting and informative content if you want people to follow your Twitter feed or like your Facebook page. If you’re not writing interesting Tweets and status updates, no one will follow you for long.
You can use humour to connect with your audience if it’s appropriate. You can write insightful, thought-provoking content if that’s more your style. You can do a combination of both. No one is going to listen to you if you just throw out links and request that people follow you, but they will listen if you’re giving them something interesting to read. They may even share your content if they really like it.
Engage Your Audience
Ask questions. Answer questions. Join discussions. Offer assistance. Social media is a two-way street. It’s not just about providing content, it’s also about communicating with your audience. This is what makes social media so powerful, the fact that you can have one-on-one direct communication with people. Take advantage of it.
Share Interesting Content
Don’t use your Facebook page or Twitter account just to promote yourself. Share or Retweet other people’s posts. Find news stories that are interesting and relevant and share them with your audience. You’ll eventually become the “go to place” for information on your niche and your audience will grow.
Building a following on Facebook or Twitter takes time, but it is incredibly valuable once you’ve done it. If you have any questions on how to use social media more effectively, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also find me on Twitter @rmoldovanyi.