A popular question I get from the community, bloggers, and small business professionals is “How do I get the attention of brands to my social media platforms?” and our answer is always the same… wear a banana costume, film yourself slipping on a banana peel, upload it, and go viral I’m totally kidding and please never do that! BUT there’s an important lesson in this lame joke; you don’t want to be known for the wrong reason. Here are the most important tips on the RIGHT way to build a substantial social media presences.
Build Your Brand– The number one way to get other companies to notice you is to build up your personal brand. A personal brand is how the rest of the world sees you. Define your brand before moving forward, cause without a clear answer; it’ll be difficult to grow a sustainable following. Branding took me years to figure out, but once I did, it became the most essential tool in my business tool belt. It will help you build your company for years. I offer monthly live business coaching on topics like social media, marketing, and emails because that’s how vital I believe it is. Once you know your brand, then you will create brand recognition, and that’s what will get you paid.
Don’t Pay For Followers- Of course, it’s tempting to buy followers and likes, but it could potentially hurt your business. Fake followers are purchased on a myriad of websites, and to a newbie, it can be enticing to buy 1,000 followers at a time. The problem with ghost followers is their lack of engagement, making it seem like you have a large following, but no one really cares about you. Not to mention the loss of integrity if you get caught faking it. Don’t try to fake it till you make it!
Use Only The Platforms That You’re Good At- Social networks are fantastic resources for businesses of all sizes to grow a following, BUT just because your blog or business needs to be on social media does not mean you should be on every network. This is a trap I see so many bloggers and small businesses fall into because they end up spreading themselves too thin by doing too much too fast. Focus on the two or three social sites that you are stellar at. Your audience will feed off that energy and want to engage. Think quality over quantity.
Stay Active- Another pitfall that new bloggers run into is only posting when they want to sell something. They become me, me, me posters. Creating a one-sided conversation. They’re basically taking out the “social” part out of “social media.” Avoid this by posting and sharing content other than your own that’s interesting to you and what you think your audience would enjoy as well. Also, answer comments! Think of it as a conversation, not a monologue.
Identify Your Audience- Your followers are your lifeline and the reason you do what you do. Treat them like they are your best friend in the world because guess what? They are! We have a rule here at Chic Headquarters. We don’t write a post unless we would want to click on it ourselves then tell our bestie about it! We want to provide content that our tribe can really connect to. The way to stay consistent with this is, to keep it real. That’s why; again, branding is paramount, and it’s the lens that you will see the world through.
