Social media is inundated with small businesses. They’re all posting a variety of content, much of which is being lost amongst the large amounts of data being uploaded. That’s why it’s so important for small businesses to stand out from the crowd and offer something completely unique. There are various things that all businesses can do to gain exposure and build a strong, reliable brand–even on a small budget.

 

Create Varied Content

It is clear from research into social media usage that videos and images gain far more engagement and attention from audiences. This is because humans are visual creatures. The most effective brands recognize this and use it to their advantage. Blog posts, containing pictures and video content, and polls have also proven to be equally effective in engaging and retaining key consumers.

 

Host Contests

This is a sure-fire way to gain the attention of your target audience. The premise is simple; get a prize that your target audience will love, and naturally, it will spread throughout the community. However, careful attention must be paid to the sweepstake guidelines for the social media platform that you are using. Failure to do so could result in losing the profile that you have worked so hard to grow.

 

Communicate with your followers

Consumers nowadays are so bombarded with advertising that they have begun to tune it out. Instead, they want human interaction. They want to know that the person on the other end of the computer isn’t just another faceless organization. One way to combat this is to have a member of your team be solely responsible for interacting with your audience. This is guaranteed to create greater trust and rapport with your brand and is likely to lead to an increase in sales.

 

Engage with other businesses

Are there other businesses in your field on social media? Collaborating with other businesses in your area is a great way to increase your reach while also providing great networking opportunities. Even if they are competitors, a show of good faith could open the door to future business together. By liking their posts or commenting on their status, you’re not only making yourself visible to their fans but also potentially forging a strong alliance that could benefit your business further down the road.

 

Stay within your brand

The key to establishing trust and creating a strong online presence is brand consistency. Understanding your company code of ethics is one thing; ensuring all of your social media posts stay in tune with that code is another. This will create a consistent theme for your page and give your customers a feeling of familiarity, which is paramount to your brand’s success.

 

When used alongside a good business model and sales strategy, these methods will result in projecting a strong brand identity to your customers. A brand that customers know they can rely on and trust is a brand worth continuing to do business with.

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