Most people underestimate the powerful connection between social media and business growth. They look at it as a communication platform, rather than an avenue for sales and conversion. Once you have a stellar website in place, you should be doing everything you can to increase your traffic and improve your visitor retention rates. Utilizing the full potential of your social media platforms is a great way to get started. Here are some tips and tricks you can use on social media to get keep your business momentum going.
Highlight Client and Customer Testimonials
One of the best features of social media is that news travels fast. If you get positive or negative feedback on your page, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or even through search engines, your audience is likely to hear about it. You want to do everything in your power to showcase your reputation to the online community. Not to mention, many people turn to social media when they are looking for a recommendation, particularly for local businesses. If you just got a rave review on a product or service, make sure you highlight that on your social media channels. Include a blurb in the post like “Read more about what our clients are saying” and link back to a testimonials page on your website. Positive word-of-mouth can be an effective source of traffic, even when you are not doing active outreach.
Engage Your Audience Regularly
Social media should not just be a source of information, but also an opportunity for engagement. People like social media because it gives them a chance to express their thoughts and opinions, all while speaking to a wider audience. Use this to your advantage by posting something that requires a response, like a question or survey. This is win-win because it also gives you a chance to gain valuable insight from your audience, like their online shopping habits or favorite products. You can even take things to the next level by doing a contest or giveaway, which gives your audience even more incentive to interact with your business.
Practice Personalization on Social Media
Many business owners make the mistake of using social media solely for advertising, when it should primarily be used for relationship cultivation. Personalization goes hand-in-hand with engagement on social media. Put thought into how you can “humanize” your brand on social media by keeping your communication friendly and personal. Talk about the impact your business is having on the community and how you have improved the lives of your customer base. Highlight the emotion-provoking aspects of your company, like employee education or how you work with local vendors. Or ask your audience how their day is going or what their weekend plans to establish a human connection with them. If your followers are getting nothing but a sales pitch, you will quickly learn how easy it is to lose their interest and trust.
Link Back to Your Website Frequently
Social media should be used to capture the attention of your audience and make them to want to learn more about your company or brand. Leverage your social media channels to drive traffic back to your website and increase your overall sales. Make sure that you are regularly linking back to pages on your website when you post on each of your channels. You can also use tracking links to see which posts are performing well by measuring how much traffic they generate (hint: posts with photos, videos, and infographics are proven to have a much higher engagement rate).
You have put a lot of working into hiring a professional to polish your website and strengthen your online presence. The next step is to drive traffic to your website by developing a solid social media strategy for your business. Think of your website like a brick-and-mortar store in your local community. You may have the best products or services in town, but if you have trouble getting the word out, your business will never reach its full potential. Social media is your go-to resource for showcasing your brand, informing and engaging your audience, and building a loyal customer base.
