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Connecting your business to new opportunities through Social Media

Connecting your business to new opportunities through Social Media

Connecting your business to new opportunities through Social Media

We are all very much witnessing (and living through) the rise of social. Whether you’re a business trying to increase sales, or simply someone looking to gain a larger following through social; we’re all familiar with the struggles of growing our online presence.

If you possess an existing social presence, congratulations! You’re already ahead of the game…

Too many times we hear people say they’re hesitant to make the jump to social because they’re “scared”, “not sure it will work” or have been “getting by without it”…

…what a shame!

If you came to the Chamber expo on Friday, you’d have heard Qasim mention a similar issue within businesses.

Initially, we weren’t planning to release this as a blog. However, as my A-level Economics teacher used to frequently proclaim, “shift happens”.

So now this vital knowledge accessible to all and thus, here’s our blog on connecting your business to new opportunities through Social Media!

Start with the end in mind

Start with the end in mind

Where do you see yourself in 1 year? 2 years? 5 years?

Social media is a long term game, you can’t expect immediate results, it just doesn’t work like that.

That’s like starting a new business and expecting to make massive profits within months, if anything you’ll barely be breaking even (but more than likely you’ll be making a loss).

It’s the perseverance and blood, sweat and tears that get you through this initial stage of barely breaking even and the same can be said for social media.

What’s your end goal?

  • Thousands of followers?
  • High engagement
  • Building a community for your audience?
  • Reaching out to influencers and working with other brands?

If you figure out the end game, the rest of the formula can be reverse engineered, making it easier to work towards your targets.

Analyse the platforms

Analyse the platforms

Businesses – avoid being over eager, spreading your social presence too thin then finding yourself overwhelmed with it all.

If your diary always packed, stick to one platform, get good at it then branch out.

For those with a bit more time, we recommend researching which social media platforms would work best for you.

This depends on a few factors which are:

  • Time you have to spend on each platform
  • The industry your business is in
  • Where your target market is

Social Listening

Social Listening

As humans, we don’t listen enough. We try and shove our brand in everyone’s face and then realise that’s not what people want from us AT ALL.

Here are a few great things to consider:

  • Where are your customers?
  • What are your competitors doing?
  • What aren’t your competitors doing?

Keep researching because then you have a guideline to follow when posting, reaching out to people or following others!

Start Curating

Start Curating

Now that you have more of an idea about what your audience wants, the influencers in your network, the types of content that work; you can start curating.

As mentioned above, try experimenting with methods that your competitors aren’t using, because then that content is unique to you.

In our own case, we started doing #DigitalNuggets because we recognised the lack of digital knowledge that agencies were providing to businesses.

Consistency

Consistency

This is where brands get it completely wrong. Businesses don’t see immediate results and this makes them think social media is a waste of time.

Hang in there, it’s a LONG TERM plan.

Keep going, stay consistent and you WILL see results…

Timing

Timing

Timing is key – that’s a simple fact of life.

No one is in the market to buy your product immediately, which is why most businesses need to change up their sales oriented social media pages.

Give time to nurture relationships with people and, when the timing is right, it’s okay to slip in a cheeky “sales-y” post.

Remember – if someone isn’t in the market for your product/service, keep the relationship going as they may be able to refer someone to you!

Treat potential customers and non-customers the same.

Values

Values

What your business stands for needs to be as obvious as the products you’re selling or the service you provide.

People with the same ideologies, values and beliefs tend to be more open to connecting with you.

It’s important to note that topics like politics, religion and general controversial topics should be avoided (but not always). I mean we like to make fun of Donald Trump from time to time because who doesn’t?

Lastly, keep it human. Business is now H2H (human to human) and people forget that their customer is just another human like you and I.

Measurement and Testing

Measurement and testing

Now’s the time to repeat the cycle. Go back and measure your campaigns!

There are a few things to consider with this:

  • Have certain types of content worked better than others?
  • Are there times where I get more engagement?
  • How successful have my overall campaigns been?

When you ask these necessary questions, you can figure out what to do next when aiming to achieve your goals!

Today’s article was a bit lengthy, but if you’re reading this then congratulations – your campaigns will soon be sprinkled with magic (provided you’re following the advice enclosed)!

We hope you enjoyed it and if you did, a share is really welcome.

Until next time amigos!

Qasim Majid About the author
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