Start-up Trends and Tips for Creating a Successful Social Media Strategy

The early stages of starting and maintaining a successful social media page can be tasking, regardless of how big your brand is. More businesses are taking advantage of social media as an outlet to connect and share their brand. With the number of social media outlets and the quantity of rising businesses, new pages are being created everyday. Taking note of popular trends can help you succeed as either a big business or a start-up new to a social network. The social media world is a crowded place, so here are some tips to help you stand out in the crowd.

Strategize

Know what your brand stands for and know your audience. Knowing what to represent is half the battle in standing out in social media. The most successful pages are purposeful in their content. Develop ways that demonstrate your mission. Even if you do not have a formal route for getting a certain amount of followers or likes, having a strong grasp on how you want to be represented will help others find you and understand you. You have to know who you are and know your story before you can develop a strategy that will resonate with your target market.

Engage

At its core, social media emulates an online community. Success is built upon relationships. Engage with users. Find ways to share or appreciate others’ content. In so many ways, this is exactly what you also want. So help them out, and your appreciation will be reciprocated, over time. Pages that engage more have more opportunities to reach potential interest. Set up a strict schedule to monitor your posts and take care to respond to any comments that your followers leave. Not responding gives the appearance that you don’t care and your followers will be happy to find one of your competitors that does care if they think that you don’t.

Commit

Strategy and engaging interactions will establish a firm foundation for a new social media page, but commitment will facilitate growth indefinitely. Growth in areas like follows and likes are important goals when starting out in a new social network. But ultimately, growth comes from within. It is important, in the long run, to make sure that a majority of those likes and follows are active participants in promoting your brand. And individuals can be active participants through their own interest and loyalty to the brand, or by engaging on online content in ways that help spread the word. Start by encouraging your employees to get involved and promote your posts. Gradually you will notice more and more interaction from users outside your organization as the reach of your content begins to grow.

And remember, social media is not an overnight sensation when it comes to marketing. Take your time and be aware that results may be slow at first. Have patience, post engaging content, interact with your audience and watch your momentum grow. Aside from patience, check out this article for a few other important social media laws to keep in mind. As you consider your next social media page, take this advice to heart and seek ways to reach the right people. Tell us about your social media success stories in the comments below.

Taylor Crouch – Marketing Assistant