Sometimes, the best ways to reach customers on social media requires some outside-the-box thinking. If you’re looking to expand your following, sell more of whatever service or product you’re providing, or simply put out excellent content, keep reading.
Here are the top tips for ways to reach customers on social media channels.
Choose the right channels for your brand.
It’s no longer just Facebook and Twitter dominating the online sphere. Pinterest has now topped Twitter to be the second-largest driver of traffic from social media sites (while the first is Facebook), according to Shareaholic’s latest report. Taking quality photos of the product or services you sell is a great start. Channels like Pinterest and Instagram are highly image-driven. By the same token, you can make your own images (with text overlay) using a site like Canva or PicMonkey. Google+ is another underrated platform; it can help your content rank higher in Google search. Furthermore, joining and interacting with communities on Google+ can expand your target audience. If you’re considering posting ad content, your top platforms will typically be Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.
Take advantage of hashtag research on Instagram and Twitter.
Sites like Websta.me will reveal how many times a hashtag has been used. On Instagram, you can use up to 30 hashtags—and it’s a great way to expose others to your brand. Hashtags will help archive your posts on Twitter and Instagram for others who are searching for the same topics, or who take an interest in that kind of content.
Discounts, promotions, freebies, useful advice—help out your customers.
Running contests, promotions and offering freebies is another of the best ways to reach customers on social media. Providing something helpful and informative through your social media channels will help draw in a wider audience—don’t just push your product. Make your content shareable. A giveaway once in awhile won’t drive customers away, either.
Join groups and communities (and follow your target audience) to share your content.
On Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+, this is especially important. Join relevant groups on LinkedIn and Google+ (and even on Facebook) that might be interested in what you’re promoting. Find pages related to what you’re selling on Twitter and Instagram (perhaps even competitor pages) and follow the users who are following those accounts. This will, at the very least, immediately make your brand known to prospective customers.
Share your story & showcase your customers on social media channels.
Big brands periodically share “throwback” or “behind the scenes” photos and stories on social media. Furthermore, they share stories from customers. If you’re selling T-Shirts, for instance, showcase your apparel by inviting customers to share their own photos of them wearing it. Then, you can repost it. This is one of the top ways to reach customers on social media: sharing feedback and experiences directly from your customers. Also, offer your social media followers some behind-the-scenes or “throwback” images or stories on your online platforms. It gives some depth to the journey of the business you built.
Take advantage of friend referrals to drive traffic to your accounts.
Invite your current customers and your friends to share your content. Also, extend an invitation for your audience’s other connections to like or follow your social media accounts. Using social media helps to initiate word-of-mouth referrals, so it’s important to find new ways to reach customers on social media. Sometimes, it means asking for referrals (and perhaps offering referral and new customer discounts).
Do you have any other great ways to reach customers on social media? Let us know!
Markitors is a digital marketing company that moves small businesses forward online. We offer full service digital marketing services including SEO, email marketing, social media marketing, pay per click management, and website development.
