As a business, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out online. Social media is constantly changing, becoming more expensive, and overwhelming those looking to it as an avenue of promotion. In reality, though, engaging an audience online on any platform has only needed one simple thing.
Personality.
This is the part where you tell me I’m nuts and name all the buzzwords you’ve heard you need. Facebook. Instagram. A blog. Twitter. More Facebook.
Maybe you need some of those. Maybe none. The mediums you use will be different for every business, but that’s not what the argument is here. It’s how you intend to use those sites that matters. How will they help you convey your brand personality?
Keep the “social” aspect of social media in mind. You’re not going to find success in growing your audience when your only strategy is to talk about your product or service. Think about what that would be like in real life.
What if you met someone who only ever said, “I’m having a sale right now!” or “This product is perfect for you if you’re a small business!” There’s no context. No relationship. No reason to trust that person and give them your money. Even if you need something like what they’re selling.
Instead of instead of coming off annoying and out of touch with pushy sales tweets, do yourself a favor and learn about people− the people who may or may not be your client someday. It doesn’t matter because anyone can be a brand advocate, even if they aren’t your target audience. Here are some ways to tap into the power of relationships:
- • First name basis: Don’t just tweet at someone. Tweet with them. Using names to initiate a conversation or reply is a basic yet personal way to connect. You do know that a person’s name is the most powerful trigger word to get their attention, right? Don’t underestimate that.
- • Show your face: You might want your business logo in the avatar, but that doesn’t mean people don’t want to know who’s behind the curtain. Use images and video to show the world the brilliant minds who make things happen. People don’t have relationships with a company. They have relationships with people.
- • Have a sense of humor: It’s one thing to have social media policies (which every business should have in place before rogue status updates happen), but that doesn’t mean you have to steer clear of fun content that makes people laugh. This will only help build a conversation around your brand and make people believe you can talk more than just business. Stay out of conversations your company should not be a part of (religion, politics, etc.) but don’t avoid having fun. It’s the best way to be memorable.
- • Keep the 80/20 rule in place: If you want your audience to believe in your personality, it has to be consistent. If you’re over promotional in an atmosphere that rejects that, your brand personality will not matter. Keep the 80/20 rule in place and promote business-related content 20 percent of the time while you spend time building relationships and social conversation 80 percent of the time.
How do you keep your business social?
