In 2020, over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost 4.41 billion in 2025. Needless to say, social media plays a major role in today’s marketing and advertising strategies. So how do you create a social media campaign that promotes your brand, captures an audience, and generates results? We have the answers. Check out our 5 step guide to building a successful social media presence. 

1. Authenticity is key.

As a marketer, it’s hard not to think of your brand as an intruder to a user’s social media experience. Fear not! There are many ways to promote your brand while not being viewed as an interruption to one’s social media feed. Try putting yourself in the user’s shoes. Ask yourself: What would I like to see on my page? What would I enjoy as a person who’s just here to have fun? If you want to succeed, try developing a persona that appeals to your audience. 

When developing a persona, try to emulate the type of social media friend your audience would have. Your social media persona helps bridge the gap between “marketer” and “trusted friend.” Keep in mind, it takes time to develop trust and credibility with your audience. 

2. Know your audience. 

Before you create your persona, though, you should know things about your target customer: average age and income, general location, typical job or industry, and their interests. While creating authentic content that appeals to your audience, you can get to know them as real people by interacting with them through comments, replies, and direct messaging.

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to knowing your target audience, a great tool to use is social media analytics. Analytics provide a ton of valuable information like average age, location, and time stamps when your followers are most interactive.

3. Know your competition. 

You can assume your competitors are already using social media. Don’t be afraid to learn from what they’re doing! Look for opportunities to grow. 

For instance, perhaps one of your competitors has a huge Instagram following, while their Facebook page has less than 100 likes. Your move? Focus on the networks where your audience is underserved rather than trying to compete on a platform with a dominant competitor.

4. Find inspiration.

While it’s important to create a campaign that stands out and is unique, you can still gather inspiration from other businesses that perform well on social. (Think Warby Parker, Glossier, and National Geographic.)

One reason these accounts are so successful is because engagement with their followers is extraordinarily high. Even though these accounts might be outside of your realm, there's still a ton to learn from them. 

5. Don’t over-do it.

While marketing is a vital tool in creating brand awareness, you can run into the dangerous overkill zone. There are many marketers out there who spend too much time trying to market and as a result, they lose credibility. 

Developing a social media schedule is a great way to build an authentic, natural, and credible social media presence. If it’s your goal to post three times a week, try posting every other day in order to keep your audience engaged without overwhelming them. 

Some other ways you can keep the balance are:

• Use less than 5 hashtags in your post
• Don’t repost or reuse old content too frequently
• Strike a balance between authentic posts (e.g. a pic from the staff Christmas party) and product promotions 

The world of social media moves fast and seems ever-changing, but your business will go through periods of change as well. To keep up with the trends, movements, and shifts, think of your social media strategy as a living document that is able to be adjusted and reviewed as needed. It’s also important to make sure everyone is aware of the strategy (or strategies). When everyone is involved, you’re able to collaborate and make adjustments that reflect your goals, ideas, and plans. Whether your strategy is updated weekly or monthly, use it to stay on track and don’t be afraid to make changes. 

Are you ready to start building your brand’s social media? Ready, set, GO!