The golden rule for any business is to cut on costs while maximizing on profit. Marketing is a crucial tool for every business. Every business aims to reach massive numbers of people cutting across age, religion, race and gender. Social media solves this problem satisfactorily. It is cheap, efficient and guarantees your business massive traffic. In this era, almost 50% of the world’s population access different social media platforms multiple times every day. Maximizing on this space skyrockets your business without having to dent your company’s budget. What is required, however, to make maximum use of social media is a well-thought strategy.

First, your brand needs to harness authority. Get people to know you first before they can subscribe to your products and services. Social media platforms allow you to connect directly with both your current and potential clients. Successful brands have grasped the technique of using social media to create and cement relationships with customers. Aim at solving people’s problems and answering their questions. Use a simple but clear and informative language. Using a too formal or too professional tone might lose connection with your audience. It’s all about creating a connection with consumers.

Here is what you need to understand before using social media to create your brand and increase your business.

Focus on networks that support your goal

There are a gazillions of social media networks today but not all are worth investing time or money in. You will want to use those platforms that will have a considerable positive impact on your specific goal.

Consider the following factors;

Facebook – Is the most popular and the most accessed platform throughout the world. It stands out as the best platform for literally all brands to promote their products. (Learn how to boost seminar attendance with social media)

Instagram – This platform is the best for those brands that rely on images. Such would include shoe lines; clothing lines, decor among others. It is the best platform to reach young adults.

Google+ – To reach the tech savvies, you will need to use this platform. Statistics have it that two-thirds of its users are men mostly working in technology industries.

Pinterest – It is statistically the best platform to reach women. Brands looking to target women should consider investing more time on Pinterest.

LinkedIn– stands out as the best for business to business networking. It offers the best ground for business related content promotion.

Twitter– is a high-profile platform. Work towards having a number of trust-worthy followers who will re-tweet and share your content. Add links to direct followers to your other content platforms.

Provide shareable content

To create a strong reputation for your brand, invest in quality content that your audience will be interested in reading and sharing among themselves. Create content that promotes your brand; incorporate some sense of humor when possible, and also use captivating images. Learn to integrate graphics where possible. Content with graphics gets more viewership compared to those without. Aim at creating interesting but still informative posts and keep it consistent. This will keep your audience interested in your brand.

Make use of influencers

These are people who are popular in social media. Regardless of how much your content is high-end, you’ll need to get your brand known, or else it would be a waste of time. A perfect approach to reach a large audience is using influencers. How do you use them? Tag them in your posts. People who follow them will get to see your content.  Another way would be citing (through hyperlinking/back linking) their blog posts or website in your content to have traffic directed towards your content. Consistence in sharing top-notch content with influencers will eventually catch their attention and they’ll share your content with their followers.

Use social campaigns

Successful brands use campaigns to generate leads and promote their brands. Using contests and campaigns is a real deal. Incorporate incentives to encourage people to participate and make it valuable for every participant.

Control your customer service

Time to time, negative feedback is bound to surface. Do not delete them. Negative comments give you a platform to show your audience how effective you deal with criticism. If well responded to, negative feedback works in your favor to help you turn criticism into strengths. Besides, it’s a chance to turn your brand’s pessimists into strong ambassadors.

What is your goal?

Finally, having a clear goal is what will help you actualize these steps. Ask yourself what you want for your brand. Is it to create traffic, convert sales or to build relationships? The answers to these questions will guide you through. Make sure you answer them promptly.

Social media is the cheapest and the most effective way to generate leads and market your brand far and wide. However, using social media can be a great waste of time and energy if the right strategies are not incorporated. Your content should always be encyclopedic and resonate with everybody who gets to read it. A sound strategy is a must have for any business that wishes to venture into social media use. The secret is to be wise, and bench-marking from already established brands. Make it a priority to be consistent in sharing great and quality content. Use brand advocators and influencers to help you reach more numbers and generate additional leads. Doing these simple things will set your business on the right path. Soon, you’ll be at a competitive platform with renowned brands and in the same breath, multiply your revenue.

Creating a solid marketing plan for your business is essential to its success. Using social media in conjunction with a strong direct mail campaign can yield amazing results.