How to grow your brand on social media

One of the frequently asked questions is “How do I grow my business on social media?” It’s not complicated, however there is no manual to it.

It is imperative for you to understand your brand. The mission, vision and target market. This is where your business plan comes in, it helps you understand what your brand is about, the direction and plan of action. It is usual to lose focus of what your mission with the brand is, which is why having a well-structured business plan is important.

5 STEPS TO GROW YOUR BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

STEP 1:

There are different kinds of social media platforms, research on which one has more of your target market. Conducting this research is helpful, but it is also important that you settle for a platform you are more familiar and comfortable with. Different platforms work for different brands, and people.

STEP 2:

Now that you have already figured which platform might work for you, the next step is creating a business account in that specific platform. Ensure that your business account is transparent about your business (the mission & vision, target market, products &/or services), have your logo/products on your profile picture and your website.

STEP 3:

Your business page is ready. For a start, follow your target market, at this point don’t expect people to follow back or engage with you. That will take time. Post relevant content on your business page, this is important because people usually go through your page before they follow you. Ensure that you are active on your page, engage with people (your target). Customers love “attention”, when they comment/reply to your posts, respond, it shows that you are paying attention and you value their input. Also, use graphics more often.

STEP 4:

Follow your competition’s social media pages to see how they market their products/services. Find out how you can improve your brand’s online presence and do what they might have failed to do. If they’re doing something good, perhaps how they communicate with their customers, or the quality of their graphics, imitate that.

STEP 5:

Run online competitions, do questionnaires or vote trolls, this will make you understand your audience better, that way you know where or how to improve your products/services. If a customer is not satisfied with the service they received from you, act.

Remember, different platforms work for different brands, find the one that works best for yours. Be patient with your brand’s growth.

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By Duduzile Ngwenya (Managing Director, Ayana Innovative) | Twitter: @noeleen_n