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A solid social media strategy provides a direct line of connection to your target followers. Get it right, and you’ve built an engaged, listening audience. Get it wrong, and you might be on the receiving end of a vocal set of consumers (who are ready with mocking memes). To build organic social media awareness and boost organic engagement the right way, you need to rely on five key principles. We’ll dive into each of these core ideas—and talk about how you can execute your strategy to win over a social audience.
1. Know your audience.
This might seem like a no-brainer piece of advice, but it’s also one of the most important things to remember. You need to know your audience and know them well.
A well-crafted organic social strategy relies on accurate target personas that include audience data like:
- Demographic details: What statistical data defines your typical customer/client (age, gender, income, etc.)?
- Psychographic details: What attitudes and aspirations does your audience have?
- Online behaviors: Where does your audience look for information and where do they spend their time online?
- Purchasing behaviors: Where does your audience spend their money?
- Relevant topics: What does your audience pay attention to?
- Audience influencers: Who is your audience listening to?
These characteristics, among others, will help you understand how to communicate with your community and speak their language. Don’t forget that your audience will evolve, as do social media trends. As such, this isn’t a one-time activity. You need to continually check in with your online community to ensure alignment.
2. Know your brand.
Just as much as you need to know your audience, you need to have a solidified sense of who your brand is online. This can include things like honing in on your tone of voice or the specific conversations you engage with. Most brands will create a social media guide or matrix to help provide some direction on how an organization engages with its audience.
By setting parameters based on your brand’s goals, you’ll be able to confidently engage in the right conversations where you can get the maximum traction to grow your following.
3. Give a little to get a little.
It’s okay—if not encouraged—to think outside of the box when it comes to growing your social media awareness. For example, giveaways are the perfect way to increase your following count and engagement.
To help build their organic traffic, 10x digital helped Vineyard Senior Living execute a giveaway model with prizes from local businesses to cross-promote content. The campaign relied on question-focused content to drive engagement. Instead of asking followers for a simple like or follow, posts were crafted to ask users about a favorite memory or holiday tradition. Their response garners an entry.
Once the posts are released, you’re able to both grow your following and strike up natural conversations with your audience. Take the time to respond to comments and shares. Make sure to share the winner (even post an image of them picking up prizes, if they consent).
Remember, the more followers engage with your content, the more it will show up on their feed. Authentic conversations are the best way to boost overall awareness but also foster genuine connections with your target audience. This brings us to our next point…
4. Keep it real.
Authenticity goes a long way when it comes to social media. More and more, consumers can read right through a disingenuous brand post. Leslie Licano of shred with Forbes, “being real and creating authentic content can forge a deeper connection with customers, encouraging brand loyalty and taking the bond past sales… It’s about the relationship between the brand and followers, and by being real, that relationship becomes stronger, allowing brands to secure customers’ valuable attention and engagement.”
Your authenticity can extend beyond the words you write but can even come across in the imagery you share. Instead of relying on stock images, try using pictures you’ve shot straight from your smartphone. For the previously mentioned client, Vineyard Senior Living, it was as simple as including posts of their community residents and staff that moved the needle for their brand. That shift made a significant difference in driving engagement.
Bottom line: real faces do better on social media. All algorithms favor people. Show your audience the faces behind the brand. Forget perfection and instead focus on production. A selfie video from an event or at your place of business is better than no content at all.
5. Focus on meaningful community engagement.
Social media isn’t a one-way street. Brands often forget to speak back to their audience. As you create content that encourages likes, comments and shares, don’t be afraid to join in the conversation. According to Statista, roughly one-third of social media users are online to engage with brands—so be ready to chat and interact!
Think about ways that you can add to the conversation or make a follower’s day. Compliment via comments, share user-generated content, repost any brand mentions (like customers using your product or service). Social posts and content don’t have to be all about your organization; make it about your community!
A successful social media strategy is a balance of micro and macro interactions; if you nail them both, you’ll grow your audience.
Your Social Media Awareness Strategy
At 10x digital, our approach to effective social media marketing hinges on a comprehensive strategy. Instead of making community engagement and management an afterthought, it becomes a key component. If you’re ready to elevate your social media plan and draw in new audiences, reach out to our team to get started today!