3 Ways to Grow Your Social Media Presence

Within the last decade, the expansion of social media has created a powerful new avenue through which companies and businesses can connect with current, new, and potential customers. Unfortunately, simply having social media accounts isn’t enough—it takes a little work to build the right presence. Here are three ways to establish strong social media platforms that work for your business:

1. START AND UPDATE ACCOUNTS

If you haven’t already, sign up for accounts on the major outlets in your industry.You don’t need accounts on every site, but you should try to reach the widest audience possible using the appropriate platforms.

You probably already have a few accounts set up, but make sure all of your information is up to date and all your messages and comments are answered. An account that is behind the times makes the company seem unprofessional. It's okay to have a few canned responses as long as you use them infrequently. Users will think much more highly of you and your company if you answer their messages promptly, accurately, and with a personal touch.

It's also important that you pay attention to all of your accounts. Although you should maintain accounts on as many sites as possible, if you realize you can't keep up with some of them, it's best to politely apologize to users and discontinue these accounts.

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2. HOLD CONTESTS

Running out of posting ideas? Try hosting a contest. You might have to spend a little money to drum up interest, but simply giving away one of your company's offered products or services for free can draw a surprising amount of attention. It's generally considered acceptable to require some action on the part of the user, such as "liking" or "following" the company in order to participate in the contest. This can greatly increase your reach. Also, encourage users to share the contest link with friends.

3. ENCOURAGE SOCIAL MEDIA PARTICIPATION

Your company's social media presence is only effective if it reaches a sizable audience, so encourage people to join, follow, or connect to your company online. Get creative with this. For example, consider reminding your customers of your social media accounts on product packaging. Whenever you host an in-person event, mention your social media accounts, either verbally or on publications like brochures. It’s always a good idea to promote social media on your website. However you do it, the more you promote your social media accounts, the more followers you’ll have, and the more effective your social media efforts will become. The role of social media in marketing is big—and it’s only growing. Start now to make sure that you’re using all resources to their fullest potential.