How to Market Your Business on Social Media in 2020

The world of social media marketing is an ever-changing landscape. As algorithms shift and new features or platforms roll out, you can’t expect to get the results you want by using last year’s strategies.

So, what’s the secret to converting followers into customers in 2020? We’re breaking down the strategies that are working on Facebook and Instagram today and other important tips you need to know so your brand can start making an impact on social media this year.

No fluff included. Instead, we’re sharing the real methods and actionable advice that has helped our clients garner the results they want on social.

Because here’s the truth:

You CAN drive engagement despite the “big bad algorithm”.
You CAN transition followers into loyal customers without feeling icky.
You CAN see real results without having a giant following.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

If you want engagement, you must engage first.

We get it, it’s disheartening to hit publish on a post and suddenly your followers become crickets. But the key to driving engagement goes beyond creating content your followers are most interested in. If you want your followers to like, comment, and share your posts then YOU need to spend intentional time liking, commenting, and sharing THEIR posts. Social media is designed to be a two-way street.

In other words, you need to engage with your audience if you want them to engage with you.

Why does this work? Because as you continue to engage with your followers, you continue to expose your brand to those who could benefit from your content. You’d be surprised how much someone else is willing to engage with you when you’ve taken the time to engage with them. This also means you might have to have these conversations on other social media pages. By doing this, you’re exposing your brand to others and meeting people where they are spending their time.

Social media is all about cultivating relationships with your potential customers. So why expect your followers to be the ones to start the conversation every time? If you want them to talk to you, start the conversation yourself! This strategy is a big one and if you do it consistently and authentically, you will see results.

We create, schedule, and manage organic social media content for many of our clients, but engagement will be an exciting add-on we’ll be offering in 2020. This means we’ll be able to like, comment, and engage with your following on your behalf to ensure you’re reaching and building relationships with people who could benefit from what you have to offer.

Who You Should Engage with on Social Media

This brings us to a common question, “How can I ensure I’m engaging with the right people?” The “right” people can be current clients, business partners or vendors, individuals of influence and anyone who admires you near and from afar. We can categorize these people into two distinct parties:

Your existing followers (people who follow your account or “like” your page).

And non-followers who could benefit from your services.

You can reach those “non-followers” in a few ways:

1. If you’re on Instagram, look up industry-related hashtags that your potential customers may be using to find your content. For us that looks like #Marketingtips or #Michiganbusiness. Location-based hashtags are another great resource to find local non-followers. We love #lovelansing and #midmichigan.
   
   The hashtag will populate content from users who have used that hashtag and simply select a post and leave a relevant comment based on the content.

   • Pro Tips:

     • DO NOT leave a slimy comment that says, “Great photo. Come check out my page!”

     • DO NOT leave a comment that includes two emojis and nothing else.

     • Be genuine and ADD to the conversation. With real thoughts that include at least 5 words! - That’s the only way you’ll get results.

     • Capeesh?

2. Engage with people or brands you’re following but are not following you back.
   
   Engage with people or brands that you want to work with (but still don’t leave slimy comments asking for their business).

How to put this strategy into action: Schedule intentional time to engage with your audience. Block out 10-minutes 3-5 days per week to like, comment, and share others’ posts. When you’re commenting on others’ content, make it meaningful. This means at least five impactful words – not just “This is great!” or even “You are so right. Love this post!” Give your perspective, share your thoughts, ask a question. Give the engagement that you’d want to receive.

Offer more than your sales pitch.

We care about your bottom line just as much as you do, but that doesn’t mean every one of your interactions online should ask your audience to buy from you. By no means are we saying it’s wrong to ask for the sale, but if you really want to make an impact on social media, you must do more!

It’s best to think of social media like a dinner party. Do you really think the person at the end of the table yelling, “Buy from me! Buy from me!” is going to make many friends? Not quite.

Yes, your products and services are great! But that’s not your one-way ticket to building genuine relationships with your followers. Instead, focus on developing content that starts conversations.

Share a tip.
Share a story.
Share something that inspires you.
Share posts that your audience can easily relate to and engage with.

Keep this in mind when it comes to the accounts you engage with as well. Before you make a comment on someone else’s post ask yourself, “how can I be adding to this conversation?”

On that note, a great way to gain exposure for your brand through authentic engagement is to join Facebook groups where your ideal customer is spending their time.

Right now, groups are one of the crown jewels of Facebook! It’s a place where people with common interests/struggles/etc. can ask questions, request referrals, and engage in genuine conversations. While you’ll have to join groups through your personal account, the big advantage for your brand is the opportunity to gain exposure for your company by offering value to others.

Give advice.
Offer trusted referrals.
Ask a question.
Join the conversation.

Here’s the thing: followers can see right through brands that don’t offer substance on social media. It turns them off and said business won’t receive the return on investment they want. The opposite side of that spectrum is where you need to focus your attention.

Start conversations. Build the relationship. Build trust. THEN ask for the sale.

Take advantage of features like polls and GIFS to boost engagement.

We’ve talked about engagement quite a bit in this post, but one way you can be boosting yours is by leverage fun features like polls, Q&A’s, and GIFs.

Facebook and Instagram Stories offer many of these features when you go to create your post.

Here’s why they’re especially cool: They make easy peasy for followers to engage with your content. Asking questions and encouraging others to participate in your poll prompts people to participate without actually having to type a response. Answering a poll could be as simple as clicking a button. It’s quick and many times, people don’t have to think long about it.

Polls are a fantastic way to conduct some market research! Trying to figure out which of your offerings your audience finds the most value in? Utilize a poll to ask! Your audience to be heard and polls are the perfect opportunity to see what they really want/like/need.

You don’t need to create any extra media for your post. While we always encourage you to use high-quality videos/photos/graphics in your feed, it can be costly and time-consuming to keep up with the demand. The added bonus to utilizing built-in features to create your post? You don’t need any added media to pit publish!

Can you tell we get pretty passionate and nerdy when it comes to social media strategies around here? 😉 It’s because we KNOW how powerful these digital landscapes are and with the right methods, you can have the opportunity to build a community around your business that turns followers into loyal *paying* customers.

The most important key to making any of these strategies work is to be genuine. Building relationships takes time, so refrain from jumping into a sales pitch every opportunity you get. Understand that building relationships is also a nurturing process and is not (typically) something that happens overnight.

We’d love to help you make 2020 the year your business wins on social media! Our social media packages are designed to serve businesses who are ready to dip their toe in the water or kick their current strategy up a notch (or three).

Take a look at our social media management packages and let’s have a conversation about which one is right for you!

Want to grow your business in 2020?
We can help.