We need to talk about social media awareness. We also need to talk about brand exposure and campaigns you can use right now to increase awareness. So, naturally, it makes sense to combine these two critical topics into one business-minded discussion.
Social media isn’t just where moms in yoga pants and hipster doofuses go to hang out and build an online following. Social media can absolutely be the tool you’re missing to grow and scale your business.
And it all starts with knowing how, when, and what, as it relates to brand exposure and awareness.
You guessed it. We’re going there. And we’re bringing our proven strategies and ideas with us. Here are the juicy tidbits you need to know about developing social media awareness for your brand and growing brand exposure with specific campaigns designed to drive ROI.
Social Media Marketing 101
Just like any other aspect and pillar of your business, social media marketing requires a detailed plan. You can’t just close your eyes, fumble around at the keyboard, and hope for the best. You need to physically (or digitally) draft a roadmap of your social media vision. Each map should have:
- Goal (rooted in your why)
- Determined social media channels
- Brand voice on social media (in line with your overall company brand voice)
- Content
- Scheduling
- Metrics
- Red flags that signify changes are needed
Social Media Metrics that Matter
No matter what you determine to do on your company social media pages, the metrics are going to tell you what’s working and what’s not. So, it’s usually a good idea to narrow down those specific metrics, either within the social platform itself or through your website or via leads generated. Here are some noteworthy analytics you should be setting up and getting familiar with as they relate to social media and brand exposure:
- Impressions
- Reach
- Engagement
- Brand Mentions
- Share of Voice
- Audience Sentiment
The Ultimate Boosters for Social Media Brand Awareness
When you feel confident that your company social media strategy and plan look solid and are in line with your overall company vision, you’re ready to execute. Posting on social media isn’t hard. But knowing when and how to streamline your efforts for maximum results – that’s where business owners lose sight of social media value.
Here’s what every business profile on social media needs for a surge in the right direction:
Personality Not Robots
This sounds obvious. But we promise you; it’s probably the most common pitfall businesses experience when generating brand awareness on social media. You don’t mean to sound like a robot, but ultimately, your posts and social interactions can start to feel “canned” or “generic.” And when you assume it’s better to play it safe by just sharing a pic and emoji rather than create a curated message, you’ve officially become a robot. Remember, social media brand awareness is about standing apart from the endless feeds of noise and content. Before you click “post,” ask yourself, does this sound like a robot response or post?
Grace and Class, Even When It’s Not Necessary
Don’t be an asshole online, even if you are an ass in real life. Your brand awareness and exposure depend on your ability to be graceful, with a little class, regardless. Don’t name-call people or engage with trolls out to create a shitstorm thread. However, you don’t have to stress about being politically correct and proper all the time. Hell, look at our content – we’re fond of keeping it real with the occasional f-bomb. It fits our personality as a brand and brand voice. But you won’t find us calling anyone names or falling for those click-bait debates.
Posts that Don’t Make You Yawn
Look, you don’t have to be witty and hilarious to create engaging posts. What you do need is a purpose and general understanding of what people want to read from you. To avoid the yawn-worthy posts, keep your thoughts brief and jargon-free. Look for ways to make every post aesthetically appealing. You don’t have to be a design genius either, with the abundance of image creation tools out there.
Teach People Something New
If you’re running short of ideas, look for ways to engage on social media training and teaching tips. Be the brand that offers helpful advice about cleaning something, cooking something or creating something. The better you get at teaching people things, even if it is just a fun Super Bowl hors d’oeuvre recipe for the big party, the more they’ll become aware of your brand. If you’re really good at “learnin’ ‘em,” they’ll start seeking out your posts ongoing.
Constant Tag-a-Thons
Posting on social media won’t garner additional awareness if you’re constantly posting in a silo. Get your tag on by routinely incorporating others into your posts. Tag other businesses with whom you might have collaborated on a project. Tag charities you regularly support. Ask your favorite clients to tag your business or check in to help reach broader audiences.
Hash-tagging for the Win
Do you know what hashtags are? You’ve seen them in others’ posts. But when you click on the hashtag itself, you’re redirected to an entirely new thread, exclusive to all posts containing that hashtag. Instagram and Twitter are great for hashtags, but you can use them across a variety of social media channels. Don’t just post; throw some relevant hashtags in there, too. And get creative with your own hashtags, asking customers to share and post with it as well!
Break Your Own Company News Stories (This just in!)
Generate more brandy exposure by breaking your own news stories. When you hire new team members or collaborate on new projects, post about it! When you launch a new product or service, shout it from the rooftops! Don’t wait for someone to brag about you. Instead, do a little of your own PR to get that bragging fever going.
Commenting Like a Human
Don’t just like and share things. Instead, converse like a human on your company social media pages. Get some traction by interacting and commenting with specific responses. Say why you like something or speak directly to the image or content for best results.
Repurposing Shit that Worked Before
Don’t repurpose anything that didn’t work or seemed to lack in the metrics. But by all means, if you had a post, a contest, or a story that resonated and got people talking, find a way to tap into that magic again for a series of posts.
Take Your Lumps Like a Champ
Listen, nobody likes public criticism. But if your company social media profile gets a little, you had best be taking it like a champ. Accept the critique, own the mistakes and find ways to make it right. Avoid the banter or argumentative rabbit holes that will only make you look unprofessional.
Best Practices Every Business Should Know to Grow Brand Awareness
When you sit down to work out the content strategy or the “what” you plan to post on social media, there are a few things to consider.
Meet Steph: Steph’s Optometry office is open for business. But she’s new to the area and doesn’t have much in the way of content to share on social media just yet. She needs to sit down and create a plan that will help inspire her social posts. She knows using Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will help increase brand exposure. But she’s not sure how to start posting when she feels she doesn’t have much to talk about yet.
Tell Your Story
Your company social media posts should, in a roundabout sort of way, tie into your brand’s story. And just as your brand story works for general awareness, telling your story on social media will help increase your brand exposure.
Be Consistent with the Social Media You Choose
Again, you don’t have to do every social media channel out there, which is entirely doable for some business models with the manpower and budgets. But those social media platforms you do elect to use, you need to make sure you’re able to commit. Be consistent and dominate whatever social media you have.
Stress the ‘So What’ Factor
After you engage on social media, review your content through a lens of “so what.” Let’s face it; that’s what your customers are saying to themselves every time they encounter a message. So, before you post, make sure your content passes the “so what” test. Make sure you convey why your content should matter.
Leverage Those Unique Exclusives
Whatever it is that you offer that sets you apart from the competition, use it on social media to build brand exposure and awareness. Lead with your best foot forward, which includes the very aspects of your business that make you different.
Tips for Improving Your Brand Exposure with Social Media
Just when you feel like you’ve arrived with your company social media strategy, you can’t stop improving. Social media, like every other marketing effort, is continuously changing. What matters today may not matter tomorrow. And here are a few brand exposure tips to ensure your posts keep performing and engaging for best results.
Know Your Audience
It’s super-important to really know your social media audience in order to convey the desired message. The best way to achieve this improved audience knowledge is by testing various content, images, and keywords in your posts to see what performs the best. For example, you may find that certain images or content perform better with specific audiences when compared against others. These steps will arm you with a better idea of what to post for maximum engagement in the future.
Prioritizing Quality Performing Platforms
When it comes to social media brand exposure for business success, it is also important to prioritize quality performing platforms. This means that the platforms you choose to use should be those where your target audience is most active. In order to determine this, you can use analytical tools to help measure your audience’s engagement on each platform. This is how you know where to allocate your resources for the best possible results.
Customized Social Media Content Ongoing
When you’re evaluating brand exposure campaigns, it is important to customize your posts for the best engagement. This means that you should always test various content, images, and keywords to see what performs the best with your target audience. You may find that certain images or content work better with specific audiences when compared against others. This will help you determine what to post for maximum engagement in the future. Additionally, it is important to prioritize quality performing platforms to reach your target audience most effectively.
Visual Content Creation
Visual content creation is one of, if not THE most critical aspects of social media for businesses. It is crucial to create and post visual content that is both appealing and engaging to your target audience. This will help to increase the chances of your posts being seen, liked, and shared. Additionally, using quality visual content can help to improve brand exposure and reach a larger audience.
Meet Austin: Austin’s gym and nutritional supplement store needs more customers. Since it’s harder to convince people to buy gym memberships, especially with the explosion of at-home equipment, he’s thinking he needs to lean into his supplements more. And Austin knows social media is the best way to get the word out and generate awareness of the products he offers. What he needs to do is jump in on social trending topics and connect with influencers who can help him reach a broader audience and fast.
Identifying and Leveraging Trends
Social media is constantly changing, which means that businesses need to be aware of the latest trends to effectively reach their target audience. By identifying and leveraging trends, businesses can improve their brand exposure and reach a larger audience because they’re finding customers where they are. Additionally, using trending content can help to increase engagement and generate more leads.
Connecting with Influencers
Businesses should connect with social media influencers to improve brand exposure and reach a larger audience. By leveraging the reach and influence of social media influencers, companies can expose their brand to a larger audience. Additionally, collaborating with social media influencers can help to improve engagement and generate more leads.
When it comes to managing your brand exposure on social media, you need to constantly evolve your strategy. If you need help with your social media awareness or ideas to improve your current social media business strategy, let Awareness Business Group be your guide!
