Whether you run a small shop or a large-scale national company, social media is an essential piece of your business marketing strategy. Social platforms help you connect with your customers, increase awareness about your brand, and boost your leads and sales. But what brings people to your social page? What imprints on those people that makes them want to keep you at the top of mind? Its ok, I’ll tell you. It’s your posts and content. It’s just a fact, social media content gets attention.

Its pretty simple, people cannot become your customers if they don’t know about your business. Social media boosts your visibility among potential customers, letting you reach a wide audience. On the other hand, it’s incredibly easy for consumers to become overwhelmed on social media platforms filled with static from companies trying to promote themselves. That’s where you need to create relevant and original content to battle that crowded space. Videos, images and articles tend to be the most successful at engaging customers and breaking through that static.

Your original content needs to clash with quality design. Between GIFs, memes, Facebook Live and everything else, a content strategy has got to be thought-out and executed. What message do your customers want to see, how are they going to identify with your brand, and what will get them to engage with your business to start a conversation? Define what you want to get as a result to develop the best and most effective posts you can. Do you want new customers to discover you? Do you want to increase traffic to your business? By keeping your strategy specific, you can determine what content will work best for you.

When creating a post its important to show authenticity. Dry, corporate-style social media posts are not the way to interest your customers. Instead, let your brand reflect in everything you post. While brands need to be polite and empathetic to their audiences, its just as important to find a voice and take a stand. Find your tone whether it’s casual and funny or formal and friendly.

Sometimes the simplest social media post can receive numerous likes, comments, and shares. Social media opens the conversation for instant interaction, relationship building, and customer loyalty, so its important that you encourage engagement. Find ways to connect with your audience. Give customers a behind-the-scenes look at what you do. Host a quick Q&A session on Facebook Live. Over time, you’ll discover what engages your following.

Once you have your following, GREAT! Now you have to keep them. It’s very important that you continue these practices in order to retain those followers and attract new ones. When you stop posting and engaging, it’s very easy for people to forget about you. Keep your business at the top of their minds and become a common part of their everyday social media experience.

Social media has engraved itself into the daily patterns of our lives.

And it will continue to expand into newer platforms. As it does more consumers will flock to those platforms for purchasing decisions. Those who have a strong social media presence and branding will increase their business, while those without will miss the boat and could lose potential customers. Don’t miss the boat! Hop on now and grow with us.