Social media communication has become an integral part of marketing communications. It's no wonder. Even in Poland, 47% of people use social media, and the number of Facebook users worldwide well over two billion. The potential of these communication channels is almost inexhaustible. However, you need to know how to use it. How? Here are a few tips to help you build relationships with your target audience more effectively. First, let's be clear about one key point: the role of social media communication for companies is primarily to support image-building activities, and secondarily, marketing. It's about building a positive atmosphere of communication between the brand and the market, especially its own target audience. This is why a promotional strategy on social media—though related to standard advertising—is primarily based on evoking positive emotions and engaging users. In this sense, it's worth thinking about managing a Facebook page as a long-term investment, not in terms of performance marketing.
What role does social media play in a communications strategy?
Social media can be used to:
- building and strengthening the brand image – so that it is present in the minds of the recipients,
- acquiring sales leads,
- maintaining relationships with members of the target group – including customers (current and former),
- arousing interest in the brand's activities.
SEO also plays a crucial role – company-produced materials shared by users (especially external links to brand content) increase the value of their website for Google algorithms, or at least increase traffic (the debate over whether traffic alone is a ranking factor is still ongoing). As you can see, without an active presence on social media, it's difficult to survive in the business world, regardless of the industry. However, presence alone isn't enough. How you manage your social media profiles also matters.
What to pay attention to when creating a fanpage?
With the theoretical introduction behind us, it's time to move on to practice. How can you make communicating with customers on social media more effective?
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- Choose social media that suits your business profile
A Facebook profile is a given – it's the most universal social networking site. But what about the others? Do you really need to be everywhere? Not necessarily. For example, LinkedIn is a great communication tool in the B2B niche, but it's not necessarily useful for companies offering B2C services (e.g., restaurants). The same goes for Instagram, which relies on image. While it's essential for clothing or cosmetics manufacturers/distributors, it's not a priority for a company in the heavy industry. Don't jump at the chance. It's better to maintain one or two social media profiles, but with full commitment and regular posting, than five, but with sloppy results.
- A well-thought-out publishing strategy is key
While you might think the posts appearing on Facebook or Instagram from major brands are spontaneous, the reality is different. Around 90% of posts, if not more, are the result of a carefully crafted communication strategy. Each one is meticulously prepared in terms of content and graphics, and its publication is planned at least a week in advance. It's also often synchronized with the release of other materials online, which requires even further foresight. For example, a company might first post a short teaser on Twitter, then a comprehensive Facebook story and a related set of photos, or an Instagram Story, and then some information on its website. This broadens its reach and intensifies the impact of its message while maintaining consistency. But how do you plan a social media publishing strategy?
- Define your target audience and the personas within it – it's to them that you're writing. Therefore, you need to tailor the language and subject matter of your posts to their needs, interests, and concerns.
- Take a look at current "hot" topics (Google Trends will help, for example) and relate them to your business. This will make your posts relevant and interesting.
- Prepare your post content and photos and "queue" them for publication on a specific day and time. This will also ensure that your posts appear at the appropriate frequency (one that won't discriminate against you in the eyes of Facebook's ruthless algorithms).
- Take care of the visual side of your fanpage
Social media is more likely to be skimmed than read carefully. Think about how you browse your Facebook homepage – do you scroll until you find an image that catches your eye? Exactly. That's why the visual aspect is so important in social media. It's not just (but also) about the quality of the images you post on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Your profile picture and background image are also crucial. And so:
- The profile photo should be the company logo, formatted to meet the proportional requirements of the graphic. A slight exception to the rule may be the profile pages of small service companies. It's also a good idea to include a photo of yourself as the owner.
- You can now also replace your Facebook cover photo with an animation or video. It's worth doing so, as it's not yet a very popular option, and the movement will attract attention.
Remember that the images you post on social media profiles shouldn't be overloaded with content. Firstly, because they might be rejected by the site's administration. Secondly, because... a picture speaks louder than words. Don't forget that you can spice up your social media content – especially on Facebook and Instagram – with emoticons. However, don't overdo it – especially if your target audience is people 30+ rather than 18+.
The popularization of the internet meant the end of one-way communication. The nature of the web is interaction. Here, users, and thus potential customers of your brand, converse with each other. Therefore, you can't afford, for example, to ignore their comments or not respond to messages. Remember: if you're worried about not being able to respond to private messages on Facebook, you can disable the ability to send them.
- Facebook groups – they build engagement more than fan pages
Give your fans a platform to discuss. Let them discuss in a group of interested parties – a group you create. A well-moderated group can be used to generate new leads and strengthen relationships with customers. Fans will then also share their own content, so ensure proper moderation to maintain the desired level of discussion.
- InstaStory, live broadcasts, etc.
Although social media communication should be carefully planned, it should convey a sense of spontaneity. Live broadcasts on Facebook and Twitter are one of the ways to achieve this. During these broadcasts, you can chat with your fans live and answer their questions. This creates a sense of real connection.
Regularity is the key to success – especially if you're aiming for high organic traffic. Regularity should vary on each platform. For example, on Facebook, it's best to limit yourself to 1-2 posts per day. 2-3 posts per week are also fine. But on Twitter or Instagram – the more often, the better.
- Show who manages the fanpage
Anonymity—especially for those responding to user messages on behalf of a brand—is frowned upon. Therefore, the bare minimum is to sign messages with the name of the person who wrote them. You can also publicly disclose who is on the profile's editorial team.
- Don't forget about paid promotion
While organic Facebook traffic is the most desirable, you can also leverage paid campaigns. Make sure they're properly targeted to reach your audience. You can also talk to us about Facebook advertising. 🙂
- Analyze the results of your posts
See how your posts are performing and draw conclusions – so you can achieve increasingly better reach and higher engagement rates. Although communication on social media is more "entertaining," as a marketer, take it completely seriously. It's your key to success.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- The impact of social media on company communication
