Instantly Up Your Brand’s Social Media Game

By Katie Turpen

Are you struggling to be seen and heard online? Maybe you’ve created a few Facebook posts, launched an ad campaign, sent some tweets, etc. but haven’t seen the results you’ve hoped for. Using social media effectively is crucial for a business to reach their customers where they are. Mastering it can feel like chasing an elusive animal with constant updates and quickly dissolving trends. As a seasoned social media manager, I’ve learned a few things about being successful in the digital arena. Here are three things you can do NOW to give your online presence the boost it needs.

1. Create a content marketing strategy

“Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting,” Bill Gates stated in a 1996 essay titled “Content is King.” The man was right and in 2020, this is truer than ever before. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you are, you need to be producing content on a consistent base. Content hooks people and reels them in. It creates a sturdy foundation for your brand to stand on. Don’t believe me? Take it from some of the marketing mega minds like Gary Vaynerchuk or Seth Godin.

I know it can seem daunting to dive in and instantly produce something amazing. Don’t be overwhelmed at the thought of having to churn out an insane amount of content! You can start slow and you can start now. Here are a few of my suggestions!

• Write a short blog post about who you are and how you got started. Include a photo of yourself, or even better, a video. Don’t have a blog? Now is the time to start one.
• Collect customer testimonials and share them in a Facebook or Instagram post.
• Be a guest on a podcast. Or if you are feeling extra ambitious, start your own podcast!
• Consider starting a monthly email newsletter and sharing bits of it on your social media channels throughout the month. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, you can build on it overtime!

2. Utilize Instagram Stories to creatively reach your audience

If you aren’t using Instagram, it’s time to get ON IT. 500 million people use Instagram Stories every day, according to Hootsuite. When it comes to this app, think quality over quantity. You don’t have to post a lot, but when you do post it needs to look good. And use Instagram Stories! These short 24-hour pieces of content are incredibly popular right now and will continue to be for awhile. They are such an easy, fast way to set your brand apart from others. Use the questions sticker to find out what your audiences wants more of, use fun GIFs to give people a laugh, give behind the scenes tours of your business, etc. The possibilities are endless here. Check out this guide to get started.

3. Download a new tool or app to elevate your social media style

If you can’t invest in a social media manager, then at least learn a few tools. You don’t have to be a social media or graphic design expert to excel digitally and make your contently look sparkly clean. Below are a few tools I’ve found helpful:

Canva will make you instantly feel like a graphic designer. There are endless templates to choose from and you can easily pop in your fonts, colors, and texts. Then BOOM, it’s ready to download and share across your socials. I LOVE this tool.

Adobe Spark – Why post a boring photo album on Facebook when you can create a engaging slideshow with animation and text? Adobe Spark helps you elevate your message and tell a story rather than just showing and telling.

Repost app for Instagram – Share other photos you find on Instagram (with proper credit, of course) easily and without the watermark (if you choose the paid version). Sharing other’s content is a great way to build relationships while enhancing the look of your own feed.

Anything you’d add to the list? I’d love to hear. Thanks for reading!

Katie