Whether you’re online or not, there’s no arguing that social media is a big part of modern life. 59% of us use social media every day, so it is a traffic rich platform for businesses that not only is highly effective but is also free at the point of entry.
Every interaction you make, whether it be a blog post, video, comment or image upload could result in a visitor to your website or eventually a sale. Being active online allows your name to be casually waving in the background of your audience’s mind. They may not notice you at first but in time you’ll catch their attention!
If you’re a newbie when it comes to social media marketing, we can help you to get started. Here are our top tips for getting your business online!
Know your Brand
Who are you? What are you selling? What is your tone of voice? If you can’t answer those questions simply then it’s time to start mind mapping! Successful marketing starts with a confident brand. At the MK9 design studio we are experts in branding, so as long as you can keep it on the down-low, we’re going to let you into a few secrets.
To create a strong brand it is essential to know who you are selling to. This isn’t always easy to pinpoint, but once you do, you can sculpt your brand to fit your ideal audience like a glove. Try to be as detailed as possible; what is their age, gender and occupation? What are their hobbies? Favourite cocktail? Favourite flavour of ice cream? Any pets?
Well, maybe not that many questions… but you get the picture!
“If you try to sell to everyone, then you’ll end up selling to no-one.”
Once you have a strong idea as to who your target audience is you can start to think about what kind of thing might catch their gaze. For example, the clothing line Pretty Little Thing are targeting young women, around the age of 18-25, who are interested in fashion. Their posts might not only consist of the clothes they have on sale but also comments on current trends, celebrities and even unicorns. These are a variety of things they feel their target audience might be interested in.
Although these posts aren’t always directly promoting what the company is selling, the content is appealing to the target audience in a way that keeps their attention. If a post is funny, the user might tag a friend. This type of interaction increases the exposure of the brand. People don’t like to be sold to, but people like being entertained! Playing on this is a great marketing strategy.
When talking to a parent your mannerisms are likely to be much different to when you are talking to your best friend. It’s the same with branding, your audience is going to react best to a voice they are comfortable with.
If we look again at the Pretty Little Thing’s Instagram, the brand uses phrases like ‘I can’t deal’, and ‘girl…’ in their social media caption. This type of language is something the target audience can relate to; it has a relax and friendly tone that makes the audience feel as if they’re chatting with a friend rather than a large corporation. This is the ‘humanization element’ that social media is able to deliver. People want to interact with people, not companies, so being able to present your brand online as a personality gives your business a much more approachable appeal. The more comfortable your audience feels towards you, the more likely they are to get in contact.
Be Consistent
Keep your content related to your brand through style and tone of voice. If you’re an upmarket restaurant you wouldn’t use slang or boast about the number of ketchup bottles you’ve just ordered. The luxurious dream you were selling would be lost and your reputation potentially damaged.
It is, however, important for your brand to evolve and change to avoid becoming dated. Finding the right balance can be tough to obtain but here at MK9 we believe we’ve found the perfect recipe. As experts in this field, we can help you find a way to push your brand forward without losing your essence.
Post Often
At the design studio, we understand how difficult it can be to continually post on social media when there are a million and one other things to be getting on with… but marketing should still be a major priority! Being present on social media enriches the experience and relationship your customer has with your brand. Think of it like a friendship, the more time you spend with a person the stronger your bond becomes. Effectively the more your customers see of you online the more chance they have to fall in love with your product or service!
Engage with your audience
Once you are confident in your brand, it is time to enjoy social media for its very purpose; to be social! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn all have comment sections and like buttons that allow a business to have a conversation with their audiences.
You can receive instant feedback on work or ideas directly from your audience, no need to wait 3-5 working days! This is called ‘social listening’ and it’s a direct insight into what your audience wants from you.
Overall, the more you put into your social media, the more you’ll get out of it! Every social media platform is another route back to your website, so becoming an active participant with meaningful content allows you the opportunity to receive a bucket load of traffic. You’d be crazy not to take advantage of it!
We love to grab a meeting room and spider diagram the afternoon away out of any pickle we might come across. It may sound cheesy and tedious but it really is a great exercise for focusing your brand and your branding strategy! If you’re struggling to get the best out of your branding then feel free to get in contact, and together we can get the boat rocking.
“None of us is as smart as all of us”
