Your Startup’s 6-Step Guide to a Strong Social Media Presence

Believe it or not, your startup’s social media presence isn’t just about attracting likes and followers; it’s a golden key that unlocks the door to brand awareness, lead generation, and strong customer loyalty. And when you follow a reliable guide to a strong social media presence, you’ll set your startup up for success.

To reduce confusion and eliminate wasted time, check out this 6-step guide to a strong social media presence. Here, you’ll find clear, easy steps that will pave the way to social media success. 

Choose the right platforms

The first step to a healthy social media presence is choosing the right platforms. Each social media platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to understand which ones will help you reach YOUR target audience. 

Check out this brief overview of the most popular platforms and a general description of their target audiences:

These generalizations can give you a glimpse of who your startup can “meet” on each social media platform. But, it’s worth noting that there are many users on each platform who fall outside these target demographics. 

To select the platform that’s right for your startup, conduct deep research and observe activity to see where YOUR target audience engages most. As you discover this, you will learn which platforms to establish for your startup, and which platforms to leave behind. 

Create a bio with a “WOW” factor

Crafting a captivating bio for your social media platforms is essential. It gives your audience a glimpse into who you are and what you do, helping you make a great first impression. 

A bio with a “wow” factor is:

• Concise
• Clear
• Action-oriented
• Keyword-rich

Together, these elements should clearly explain what you do and incite curiosity in users to engage with you.

🍋 Pro tip: Include a call to action so users know how to contact you, make purchases, or hire your services. 

The right bio will establish your credibility and become the launchpad for lead generations and connections.

Create eye-catching content

Now it’s time for the fun part! Craft content that will capture the attention of your audience. Content can include:

• Videos
• Photos
• Blogs
• Live-Streams
• Images

What you decide to publish depends on the message you wish to send about your business.

The key is to create content that provides value to your followers. Design a strategy that helps you meet your needs, serves your audience, and encourages engagement through interactive content.

Depending on your business’ personality, you might develop a strategy that combines educational, inspirational, and entertaining content. Or, maybe your strategy should focus solely on information and education. Still others might rely on content that’s video-heavy or youthful. 

🍋 Pro tip: Remember who your audience is and design content that speaks to them specifically. This will help build relationships and keep your audience interested in your company.

Use hashtags that reach

Hashtags will add power to your social media strategy by making your content more discoverable. However, not all hashtags are useful.

Begin by researching hashtags that are commonly used in your industry. You will discover relevant hashtags that will help potential customers find your content more easily. Try using sites like Flick and Allhashtag to research the most popular hashtags. 

Once you find the best hashtags to use, include them strategically in your posts. This means that you add a collection of hashtags that are:

• Relevant to your content
• Relevant to your industry
• Relevant to your audience
• Highly specific
• Short and Readable
• Branded

Practice applying this strategy to your social media posts, and you will begin to learn which hashtags leverage your content best.

Engage with your target audience

Social media is not a megaphone, but rather an interactive platform.

It’s essential to communicate with your followers and show them you’re listening. Dedicate at least fifteen minutes daily to engaging with your audience. Excellent engagement activities include:

• Replying to comments
• Responding to direct messages
• Liking and commenting on posts on related accounts
• Sending friendly messages to all new followers 

Additionally, polls and surveys are excellent ways to get feedback from your audience. These offer interactive ways to gain insight into their wants and needs, and develop valuable content as a result.

Analyze your metrics 

After launching your social media presence, it’s essential to take a look at the metrics associated with each platform. This will help you make sure that your objectives are being met.

Note the following types of metrics:

• Reach: the number of people who have encountered your post
• Engagement: the number of people who have clicked, liked, or left a comment
• New followers: the number of brand new users who have followed your account
• Unfollows: the number of users who have stopped following your account

These metrics can help you see what types of content and strategies are interesting and engaging, and what is not useful or off-putting. This information can guide your content creation and campaigns in the future. Monitor these metrics to identify what strategies are most effective in building your online brand!

Take Action

You can overcome social media overwhelm! Just follow this simple 6-step guide to a strong social media presence, and you’ll be off to the races. 

Remember: Take the time to select the platforms that best suit your requirements, craft content that resonates with your desired audience, and monitor your metrics for feedback. By taking these steps, you can easily lay the foundation for a healthy social media presence.