Right now, there are about 2.5 billion people active on social media.
This is more than just a pool of people to socialize with -- this is also your pool of potential customers and business partners. You will be able to grow your brand when you get to know social media promotion to the fullest.
So what secrets should you know about mastering the most popular social media platforms?
Consider these facets of social media promotion so that you can take your company's marketing to the next level.
The best thing you can do is create a strategic plan for your social media promotion.
Too many companies rush head-first into marketing without having any sort of strategy behind it. Instead, take a hard look at your company and start to think about where you want to be in the next few years, and how social media comes into play.
This requires you to take a qualitative and quantitative approach.
Once you know where you're headed, this will help direct your web design and search engine optimization (SEO) needs.
Some of the metrics you can key in on for your social media plan include collecting information related to your demographics, figuring out which platforms have the most success and growth potential, putting together a calendar for your social media plans, and running an overall audit on your current social media platforms.
The more you do your research, the better you can set up plans for moving forward with your social media promotion this year and beyond.
One of the best ways to improve your social media is to create contests from time to time.
This creates engagement and interactivity with your followers that is unparalleled. There are several ways that you can roll out a social media contest -- to include having people submit videos or photos related to the contest, share content with a certain number of people, or simply sign up.
The prize can be anything from a free item or service that you offer, or a free item from another company entirely. Running a contest helps you build your brand and optimize it to the fullest.
Of all the social media platforms, Instagram has undergone some of the largest growth and change over the past few years.
For instance, some 70 percent of young adults today actively use Instagram. The platform has grown to become the second biggest social media outlet on the planet.
The company also rolled out IGTV, which adds another useful element that draws people in and changes the way that they digest their content.
This, along with IG stories, gives you a lot to play with, which is why you need to figure out your brand so that you can begin fine-tuning your Instagram strategies.
Short stories are winning big on Instagram right now, so definitely take advantage of IG stories on a regular basis. Make use of hashtags and locations in order to get a buzz on your videos.
You should also integrate IGTV strategies, making sure that your videos are high-quality and that you are hitting your demographics of choice.
It is better to thrive with a couple of different social media platforms, rather than watering down your social media promotion by trying and failing to win at them all.
For instance, if your brand is highly visual and fun, Instagram should be your bread and butter. Likewise, if you're a blogger that wants to grow your brand, outlets like Facebook and Medium might be just what you need.
Figure out which platforms are best for your brand and learn them like the back of your hand.
By the year 2020, a whopping 82 percent of all online traffic will come in the form of videos.
Because of this, you need to begin grinding out video content as much as possible. Invest in some quality equipment so that both the picture and sound are up to par, and so that you can really grab people and create interest.
Quality needs to reign supreme over everything.
While your goal is to promote your content, this will happen when you first master storytelling. Quality content that grips people and makes them want to engage with you will give you better results than simply checking the boxes with techniques or algorithms.
Never lose the human aspect of your content as you look to promote on social media.
Finally, do your due diligence and make sure that you create content that is varied and different.
People will appreciate what your brand has to offer when it's expressed in different ways, allowing you to show a flair for creativity. You can work with a marketing professional that can assist you in creating the content that is best for you.
The tips above will help you with all of your social media promotion needs as you navigate through this year and beyond. Social media is the name of the game for any marketing goals that you have.
We're happy to help you out as you keep growing your brand.
If you want to learn more about scaling your freelance business or taking your blogging and social media marketing to the next level, stay tuned to our content.