As this turbulent year comes to an end, it’s worth spending some time fine-tuning your online presence to take advantage of the festive season. Christmas is often the most profitable period of the year for many businesses so making a few small adjustments to your online strategy could pay off in a big way.
1) Focus on the most suitable platforms for your business
Each social media platform has different strengths and weaknesses. For example, Instagram is ideal for brands based around visual items, such as clothing, cosmetics and consumer products, while LinkedIn is geared more towards business professionals who appreciate content about marketing and strategy. Choose the platform that best reflects your brand and focus your energies on that one – but don’t disregard the others entirely until you have tested them.
2) What kind of content does your audience want?
If your target demographic is young and tech-savvy they’re likely to respond positively to well-produced, energetic video content. Whereas an older audience may prefer written material that takes a deep dive into the topics that interest them. These are broad strokes and it’s more likely there’ll be some crossover but your target market can give indications as to what kind of content you should focus on.
3) Find out the best time to post
This involves a bit of trial and error but the end results will be useful for years to come. Try posting content at various times throughout the day and make a note of the times when you get notably more traction. Of course, this could depend on the kind of content being posted but with repeated attempts, you’ll soon discover the best times to post on social media.
4) Make your interactions as human as possible
Automated replies are a surefire way to turn off your customers, so where possible make your replies and comments as genuine as possible. Obviously, this won’t be possible during the middle of the night, for example, but when it comes to responding to comments and messages on social media it’s vital to engage with people in a natural, personable manner.
5) Make sure your website matches the social media experience of your brand
A big part of establishing a successful brand comes down to maintaining a unified presence across all platforms. Make sure the tone of voice, content and visual style used on your customer-facing website matches your social media content. A cohesive aesthetic across all channels is a sign of a professional, trustworthy business.
6) Keep an eye on your competitors
Don’t obsess over your competition but instead, look at the ways they’re lacking and fill in the gaps. Time spent looking at their promotional campaigns and the ways in which they’re neglecting customer needs can provide ideas and future offers to lure consumers over to your brand instead.
These techniques are useful all year round but with the busy holiday season upon us, there’s no better time to optimise your social media presence.