do you dare to start on social networks?
Creating a new account on Instagram or Twitter can be a bit dizzying during the first few days. Getting started on social networks means facing the 0 followers, the lack of posts, the default design... But it is a job worth doing to benefit from the advantages offered by these tools. Both companies and employees can improve their profitability or job opportunities with a good work on social networks. In these times, it is almost mandatory to be present on these platforms: otherwise, only problems will appear. To avoid this situation, keep reading this article.
Getting started on social media: step by step
Every good strategy, in this case communication strategy, has a beginning, so let's take a closer look at the first steps to take on social media:
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establish objectives
what do you expect from your social media presence? Set yourself specific and realistic challenges, whether quantitative or qualitative. This way, you can check whether you are getting the expected results or not. This involves a trial and error process where you will be modifying and perfecting your strategy. To do this, you need data analysis tools in networks (such as Metricool or the statistics offered by social platforms). For example, some objectives could be: to reach 500 followers in a month, at least five interactions in each tweet or 100 visits on the website coming from social networks. In this sense, it would be a good idea to use the SMART technique to set specific, measurable, achievable, targeted and time-bound objectives.
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identify your potential audience
Whether you are a company or a freelancer, your products or services are aimed at a specific sector of the population above all other audiences. This works in a similar way on social networks, as you should establish a communication strategy adapted to each audience and social network, as not all work in the same way. For example, the average age of users on Facebook is higher than that of Instagram. Find your main target audience and other subgroups to adapt to them in form and means.
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Choose the right social networks
This way, once your objectives and potential audience have been defined, you can choose the most suitable social networks. Remember which are the most common ones: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube and Telegram. The nature of your company also comes into play here, as the communication strategy will not be the same for a vegan restaurant, a law firm or a film distributor. Therefore, research the particular characteristics of each platform and what works best on each one to select the best for your strategy. Remember that consistency is essential in social networks, so avoid being present on all of them and concentrate your efforts on those that can offer you the greatest benefits.
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take care of the first impact
Once you have chosen the platforms, create a new account and give it an updated and attractive visual image according to the digital trends of the moment. Configure the profile picture, the header, the name, the user, the biography... The first impression is essential.
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get your first followers
At the beginning you have to overcome the emptiness of a new profile. To do this, while you share your first publications, it is essential that your closest or loyal audience helps you to spread the word. This is where word of mouth comes into play to convince your friends, family, acquaintances or customers to follow your profiles. You can do this by talking in person, making an announcement on your personal profile or, if your company already has an account on another social network, transporting those followers to your new profile. If you have business cards or a website, add social icons that refer to your networks. This way, you will get a base of followers that will facilitate the attraction of new users.
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offer quality content
Before selling and promoting your products or services, you must attract users interested in your brand as a whole, both for what you offer and for the experience provided by your networks. In this sense, pay special attention to visual content, your own, linked to current events, close and humorous.
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Be constant
As we have already mentioned, it is essential to maintain a constant frequency on all social networks. To do this, you can create a calendar and establish a frequency of publication on each social network. This will ensure that you keep all your accounts active: if not, your followers will wonder what the point of following them is.
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create a community with your followers and you will have more and more followers
If you follow the rest of the steps properly, you will be closer to creating a loyal community among your followers, humanising the work of your company and getting closer to your customers. To do this, it is key to maintain interaction with them: they should feel cared for, relevant and part of your company. Therefore, if your followers have a rewarding experience, it will be easier to attract new users and expand your reach.
Tips and ideas
Successfully developing each of the above steps takes time and effort. It is not an easy task and requires a lot of patience, so keep these four tips in mind when getting started on social media:
- analyse the competition. During the start of your social media strategy, it can be very useful to research which platforms your competitors are on, how they manage each network, what impact they have... It is not about plagiarising what works, but about adapting to the demands of your target audience, getting and rejecting ideas and designing your strategy based on what you have discovered.
- create a countdown- this idea is to officially launch your social networks and create an attention-grabbing event, so in the five days before you post content for the first time, you can create a countdown on your personal networks or other platforms (such as your website) to attract your first followers.
- consider hiring a community manager. A good public communication strategy on the Internet requires multidisciplinary and time-consuming work, which is why it is advisable to entrust these functions to a community manager, i.e. a social media professional. This way, you save effort by investing in a future plan that will be very beneficial for your brand.
- use influencers if you consider it appropriate. In the same way, you should take into account influencers in your sector or profiles with great impact on networks in your strategy. For example, it would be a good idea to create a sweepstakes of one of your products in collaboration with an influencer whose followers match your target audience. In this way, you can increase your reach faster.
So, remember: getting started on social media may seem simple, but if you want good results you will need a great, organised and eye-catching strategy. Do you dare?
