The First Step Toward Building an Engaged Social Following

It's no surprise that the majority of business owners and executives who come into our office state "an engaged social media following" as one of their immediate internet marketing goals. But, with thousands (or even millions) of competitors trying to accomplish the same thing, how can you make your social profiles stand out to prospects, followers, and viewers?

The first step to getting started on social media is to have your profiles look like they are a cut above the rest. Here are a few ways you can make yours stand out on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and elsewhere:

Use high-quality social profile photos.

Because of the way the human eye works, we all tend to note visuals (and especially faces) before anything else on a web page. That means having high-quality photos can make an instant impression that carries through to the rest of your content. It's faster and cheaper than ever to get great pics for your social networking profiles, so make sure you stand out. If you don't have good photos, enlist the help of a professional photographer.

Don’t post the same kind of content all the time.

Even though most business people hate writing, lots of them rely on blog posts, written tweets, and other formats of text-based messages to carry the bulk of their marketing load. That's understandable, but adding in the occasional image or video helps shake things up and gives you an avenue to peoples' interests of which your competitors might not be taking advantage.

Social media doesn't mean constant self promotion.

Your followers aren't interested in hearing your sales pitch all the time. Be engaged in the community. Social media shouldn't be just a commercial for your products or services.

Tailor your strategy to the social network.

Think about what your objectives are for each social network. Your objectives on Facebook will most likely be much different from objectives on Twitter. Think about who your followers are and give them valuable information that's appropriate. This post discusses how you can choose which social media networks work for your audience. 

Check your spelling and grammar.

When the content on your website or social profiles is sloppy, that says something about your credibility as a company. In other words, it tells potential customers and colleagues that you don't pay attention to the details. Stop this from becoming an issue at the start by proofreading your social content carefully, or at least working with someone else who does. Here are 3 steps we take before publishing any blog post. 

Provide a variety of useful links from your social profiles.

Every link from your social media profile shouldn't go straight to your online ordering page. Sending readers to your blog, or even outside sources of information, might not be the fastest road to your next sale, but it can help build your credibility and keep fans and followers coming back time and time again for more useful information.

Getting started with social media, in a nut shell: 

Simple as it might seem, lots of businesses never really cover the "basics" of setting up an effective social media profile. By taking these few simple steps, you can go a long way toward leaving your competitors behind and attracting attention on social networking sites.