Photo by @christiannkoepke
It's no secret that social media has taken the world by storm in recent years. A study by eMarketer found that social media penetration rates worldwide would reach 37% this year, with more than two-thirds of those users accessing social networks from their mobile devices. With such a large and ever-growing population using social media, it's no wonder that businesses are eager to get in on the action. Companies such as Buzzoid certainly are. They are specialists in gaining an Instagram following and receiving lots of likes as a business.
But social media isn't just a platform for businesses to advertise their products and services - it's also an opportunity to build relationships with potential and current customers. And one of the best ways to do that is by getting them to follow your business online.
So, how do you get customers to follow and like your business on social media? Let's take a look at a few methods:
Make it easy for them to find you by cross-promoting
Make sure your social media handles are prominently displayed on your website and other marketing materials (e.g., business cards, flyers, email newsletters, etc.). You can also include social media icons on your website that link to your social media pages.
The key is for a business to link up all the places it is online through its website that can promote them all at once. Certain customers will want to get in touch in certain ways, depending on their preferred method of social media or online messaging. We have to cater to the needs of different customers young or old when we are a business looking to survive online.
It is beneficial for a business to provide choice and therefore convenience in terms of the way it can be communicated with.
Use social media ads
Social media platforms will generally offer paid advertising options that allow you to target specific demographics with your ads. For example, you can target people who live in a certain area, who are of a certain age, or who have interests that are relevant to your business.
These platforms are excellent at knowing the demographics of their users and so can target ads efficiently to the right places where they will be best received and liked.
Offer incentives
Give people a reason to follow you on social media, such as discounts, exclusive content, or early access to new products or services.
Look at giveaways and competitions with your posts so that you are giving something back to the customers every once in a while. Customers like to believe that you are thinking of them and value their loyalty.
Be active and engaging
Post interesting and valuable content regularly, and ensure you respond to comments and questions promptly.
You can never stand still as a business when social media is our promotional or trading platform. It is vital to have fresh content posted regularly to keep customers interested, whether or not you have a new product to promote or sell. If you lose those customers to another business's social media account that is more exciting and current, you may never get them back.
Let your pictures say a thousand words and add textual content to them that will excite the reader and entice them to know more about your product or service.
Be pro-active
If followers are not following you as a business, you can always contact a company that can find them for you. You can essentially buy follows and likes. It can take a long time for a business to build a following on Instagram, otherwise. Instagram is one of the big social media platforms and so where a lot of business is transacted or at least promoted.
By following these tips, you can encourage more customers to follow your business online and build stronger relationships with them.
