Social media are fun! All those innumerous interesting articles from all sorts of know-it-all gurus, endless stunning photos of last night meals from breakthrough influencers, tons of memes that will make your belly hurt for how hard you laugh. Just pure joy in your stress-free life!
Let’s dial back the sarcasm and get to the point: you shouldn’t forget that social media have become one of the most powerful brand-building tools in the current day and age. Why? Because social media essentially offer dialogue directly with your audience. But not only that. Thanks to the LinkedIn (also a social media platform btw) research, we know that stunning 66% of professionals would be more likely to recommend a company or brand if they followed a company’s executive on social media.
Exactly! It’s time to set up an account… But first, let’s take a deep breath and look at what we need to consider to bring your social media game to the next level.
Ready? Engage!
Social media offer a great opportunity to interact directly with your audience, position yourself as an expert and, as a result, drive business value. This is one of the best ways to gain industry exposure, build engagement and establish trust with your target audience. According to the LinkedIn study I referenced before, 56% of professionals say a business executive’s presence on social media positively influences their purchase decision. In other words, the more recognizable you are on social media, the more likely you are to get new clients.
Strategic thinking
A company without a strategy is like a ship without a map – no one knows where you’re steering. Same goes for social media. It requires a strategy to make it clear what your priorities and goals are, and how you are going to get there. Some of the key questions you should ask yourself are:
“Who do I want/need to talk to?”
“What do I want to say?”
“Where do I need to be in order to talk to these people about these things?”
“What do I want people to do?”
“How much recourses am I ready to invest in it?”
Now, incorporate the topics you want to address in your profile bio to let your existing and potential followers know what to expect; follow relevant accounts and hashtags; get involved in trending conversations and leave comments based on your expertise and experience. That’s a good start and you can see what works for you.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you MUST take your social media presence seriously. Since it has a direct impact on your company’s recognizability and, eventually, performance (more reach = more potential clients, remember?), avoid falling into a trap of “I’ve posted like 5 pictures, but no one is following me! Social media don’t work!”. For social media to work in your favor you must stay consistent and plan your campaign a few months in advance. Moreover, you must prioritize authenticity to build trust with your audiences.
If you’re not confident in your social media skills or your ability to devote the time required to do it right, consider enlisting some help. Assigning an executive social media strategy to a trusted expert, like a social media marketing or a PR team, can help you with that in a much better way, than a freshly recruited intern.
