Branding is more important than some marketers think, with 81 percent of consumers stating they only buy from brands they trust. This feeling cuts across all global markets, ages, and income groups.
Consumers need to be aware of your brand before they can decide whether to trust you or not. And when it comes to creating brand awareness, there’s hardly a more effective way than using social media. Roughly 97 percent of Fortune 500 enterprises use social media to enhance their initiatives and boost communication with their stakeholders.
In an increasingly digitized world, the world has migrated to social media. As of 2021, there are about 3.78 billion social media users worldwide, and the number keeps growing. Small businesses that harness the unprecedented power of social media stand to succeed.
But how do you go about improving brand awareness using social media? Keep reading to find out.
Determine Your Target Audience
The first crucial step in brand awareness with social media is to make sure you’re targeting the right audience. Take the time to define your audience so you can come up with content that resonates best with them.
Ideally, you want to target people who need your product or service the most. Once you determine who these people are, it becomes easier to connect and interact with them.
Take the time to do your research. Know what social media platforms they’re most likely to use frequently. One way to determine the right social media platform to use is to take a closer look at what product or service you offer.
For instance, if your business sells guides, then the majority of your audience is likely to be on LinkedIn. Brands that sell cosmetics can find most of their target audiences on Instagram.
Post Engaging Content
Make great content the center of your marketing strategy. If users don’t find your content engaging, they’ll not hesitate to scroll past it to something that they find interesting.
Note that there are probably thousands of other businesses on social media that offer the same product you do. If you’re going to stand out, then your content must be engaging enough to immediately arrest the attention of users.
So, how can you make your social media content more engaging? Try telling stories instead of being too ‘salesy’. Include client testimonials, and opt for real photos instead of stock photos.
Leverage the power of video in your social media marketing strategy. Viewers retain an astonishing 95 percent of the information they watch on video. Video content is also shared 1,200 percent more than text, which makes video the absolute king when it comes to creating brand awareness.
Regularly Interact With Your Followers
The whole point of being on social media is to socialize. If you aren’t being social, how are you marketing through social media?
Go out of your way to initiate a conversation with people who follow you on social media. Ensure that the content you post directly prompts people to leave comments.
Continuously interacting with your followers is the best way to retain them and attract even more followers. It makes it easy for people to remember your brand whenever they have a related need.
Monitor and Respond to Followers’ Feedback
The vast majority of consumers today hold brands accountable for any shortcomings on social media. Expect an avalanche of hashtags and tweets when your followers on social media have an issue they need to be addressed.
Similarly, customers will offer positive feedback through social media when they’ve had a satisfactory experience with a brand.
Every brand on social media thus needs to pay close attention to what feedback they get from followers. They need to respond as quickly as possible to this feedback. Doing so portrays your brand as humane and communicates that you really care about your followers’ views and needs.
Use Influencers
There’s a reason the top companies are willing to pay influencers a lot of money to push their products and services. These individuals have the power to sway scores of people on social media to make certain decisions. It’s no wonder that 90 percent of marketers believe in the effectiveness of influencer marketing.
The ROI of influencer marketing is impressive, with companies earning $5.20 for every $1 they spend.
Influencers generally have a massive following on their social media platforms. It’s the reason it makes so much sense to partner with them when you want to boost your brand awareness through social media.
Always aim to use influencers who are relevant in your niche. The followers of such influencers will most likely be ideal for your business.
Use Sponsored Ads
To get the best results out of your social marketing strategy, don’t be afraid to spend some money on sponsored ads. The truth is you can reach your target audience much faster with sponsored ads than with a mere organic social media marketing strategy.
Sponsored ads are highly targeted and will help you reach a very specific audience. As a result, you get to ensure that your branding messages are seen by your intended viewers.
Be sure to combine both organic social media and with your paid strategy for optimal results.
Leverage the Power of Social Media for Building Brand Awareness
Ensuring that your brand is immediately recognizable is one of the surest ways to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Given that most of your clients are likely to be active on social media, you can take advantage of this to boost your brand awareness in that universe. Use the tips in this guide for the best results.
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