Social media has become a hugely popular and effective tool businesses can use to engage with their audiences, build up their brand name, increase sales and create an online community around their company.
But in order to increase social media traffic and begin to see the effects this has on your business, you’ll need to understand your brand message and the platforms you wish to lead on. Improving social traffic also requires consistency and a regular commitment to posting relevant, engaging and eye-grabbing content.
We have put together a guide that establishes your business’ presence and voice on social media, as well as providing three top tips on how to increase your traffic once you are all set up.
Understanding each platform and having a clear plan
In order to improve your social traffic it is crucial that as a business you have considered all social media platforms you wish to post on, analysing the benefits they could offer, the audience they will reach and the brand message they will send out.
Social media platforms come in a variety of forms and are great for reaching not only current customers to your business, but also future customers. With Facebook having a mind-boggling 2.38 billion users, Twitter with 330 million active users and Instagram with 1 billion, these networks give businesses the opportunity to reach far and wide, really quickly.
Other social media platforms include:
- Snapchat
- Tumblr
All platforms have their different strengths and weaknesses and it is important that you consider which will benefit your business most. For example, Pinterest is a great creative, photo sharing platform which may benefit industries such as weddings and travel, more than the likes of tech and HR.
It is also worth researching the demographics of account holders of these different social media platforms, to ensure you are reaching the right people who will be interested in your products and services.
When researching each platform it is also crucial to consider what you want to achieve with social media. Things to consider may be:
- How many more followers would I like on Instagram in six months time?
- How often will I post on this platform each week?
- What do I want the key message to be on this platform?
Establishing your goals and aims to grow traffic to your social media pages will enable you to put the right processes in place and work out what you need to do to achieve this. In addition, outlining your plan of action and goals will highlight that each social network is different and what might work for one platform, may not for another.
Tip #1: Visual content is key
For most of us who use social media, our attention span is pretty small, as we find ourselves spending just a second or two reading the headline of an article, looking at a picture or watching the beginnings of a video to see if it is worth looking at more.
For businesses, it’s crucial that your content is eye-grabbing and stands out to a user who is scrolling through their feed on social media. With users following hundreds if not thousands of different accounts, the competition for attention is high.
A great way to make a user stop and look at your content then is to make it really visual, so your audience can engage with it straight away, without having to think about it too much.
Avenues worth considering to make great visual content include:
- High level photography
- Vibrant colours
- Visuals that tell stories
- A clear message
- Showing your services in a new light
One of the best platforms to explore visual content is Instagram, where your company can begin to build up a visual space which users can enjoy browsing through. Instagram also allows you to create an overall theme with your pictures, in terms of the colours you use and the types of content, etc.
Once you start building up your content, you will begin to create a brand theme and presence on social media that users will be able to remember and recognise you by.
Tip #2 Make your channels mobile-friendly and don’t forget key information
With most people using social media on their mobile devices it is crucial that the content you create and share is mobile friendly and easy to navigate. As mentioned above, our attention span is very short on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, making it even more important that the layout of your page is as clear as possible so users can understand what you’re about instantly.
Including key information about your company clearly on your social channels is what will see your business grow. For example, a link back to your company website, along with a short summary and contact information is also pivotal in generating new customers from social media.
Tip #3 Be a quick-replier
Social media has become an effective platform for customers to interact with companies, particularly when it comes to reviewing their products and services, answering any questions and dealing with complaints.
As a business on social media then, one of the most effective ways you can gain popularity from customers is by interacting with them as much as possible, and responding to them quickly, to make them feel heard. Responding to tweets, messages and comments can go a long way, with 1 in 3 people going to competitors when ignored on social platforms.
Another great way to get closer to your customers is by installing a customer chatbot on Facebook, allowing you to have a live conversation with any potential buyers.
Social media is a way to interact, network and build relationships online, and by creating a caring, responsive presence, you are much more likely to gain customers than lose them.
Track your progress
Improving social media traffic doesn’t happen overnight. In fact it requires time for you as a business to get your brand message across, create the content that is right for your company and also begin to build up relationships with customers and businesses.
Keeping an eye on your traffic and reviewing this every few months is a great way to see if what you are doing online is working. It is also important to take a look at what your competitors are doing, to ensure you are staying ahead and doing everything you can to boost your online presence.
With these top tips, there is nothing stopping you from increasing your traffic on social media and getting more customers as a result!
