Successful brands like Gymshark, Glossier, and Dollar Shave Club relied entirely on social channels in their first years of business to grow their social media presence, and their efforts paid off. You, too, can leverage social media marketing to gain exposure for your online store.
In this guide, we introduce you to the top 7 digital marketing strategies that can help you grow your social media presence. So, keep reading!
Table of Contents
#1 Choose the Right Social Media Platforms
The importance of social media in business is a fact, and each social media channel has a different audience and vibe.
For instance, one in four Facebook users in the U.S. is 25 to 34 years old. Teens and young people aged 18 to 14 account for only 18.6% of the platform’s audience. By comparison, TikTok’s audience consists mostly of teenagers.
With that in mind, choose the right social media platforms for your brand instead of trying to be everything to everyone. If, say, you target millennials, it makes sense to focus on Facebook. But if you sell to business professionals, LinkedIn or Xing is a must.
Not sure where your customers hang out online? Analyze your competitors’ social media pages to see where they get the most engagement.
For starters, focus on two or three platforms. Publish content regularly, engage with your followers, and track the results over several weeks. Switch to a different platform if your efforts don’t work out.
#2 Create an Online Store
While it’s possible to sell directly on Facebook or other social networks, having a website can make it easier to gain customers’ trust and deliver personalized shopping experiences.
Choose an online store builder with flexible templates and scalable features. For example, Wix boasts over 130 pre-built eCommerce themes you can customize with your brand’s colors, fonts, and images. Plus, you can publish content, upload your products, and manage orders with just a few clicks.
Once your store is up and running, use the following strategies to grow your social media presence.
#3 Create a Content Calendar
When you’re juggling multiple social media platforms, it’s difficult to stay on track with content creation and distribution. That’s where a content calendar can help.
This document usually includes post dates, times, topic ideas, and other relevant details, such as:
- Post types and formats,
- Where the content will go,
- Links to your blog posts, product pages, or other websites,
- Tags, mentions, and hashtags,
- Visual assets.
With this information laid out, you’ll find it easier to schedule, organize, and track your posts.
Plus, you’ll be able to quickly identify content gaps, strike a balance between evergreen and news content, and determine what works and what doesn’t.
#4 Diversify Your Content
Publish a mix of how-to posts, industry news, expert tips, and promotional content. It’s also a good idea to share data and insights, especially if you target B2B consumers.
Your audience expects more than just promotional posts. They want to hear your brand’s story, get actionable insights, and understand how your products fit into their lives.
For example, the sports equipment brand TRX has built a thriving community around its products.
Its Instagram page features motivational posts, workout tips, how-to videos, user-generated content, and more. The brand also shares research studies on the health benefits of suspension training.
Your content mix may also include quizzes, contests, or challenges. For instance, the #ChipotleLidFlip challenge garnered over 240 million views on TikTok alone.
This type of content allows customers to interact with your brand and be part of its journey. The result? Higher engagement, increased loyalty, and greater exposure for your business.
#5 Leverage User-Generated Content
Multiple studies indicate that consumers perceive user-generated content (UGC) as more authentic and trustworthy than branded content. UGC is an umbrella term for product reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, and other types of content shared by actual customers.
Let’s say you sell fitness apparel online.
An example of UGC would be a selfie of a customer wearing a T-shirt purchased from your brand. Or an unboxing video created by someone who ordered your products.
What you should do is share this kind of content on your social media pages to build trust and credibility. Go one step further and embed UGC into your product pages to help customers find what they need more easily.
User-generated content serves as social proof, providing validation of your products or services. As a result, it can influence the buyer’s journey, leading to more sales. It also drives engagement and creates buzz around your brand, which can make it easier to increase your reach.
#6 Engage with Your Followers
Publishing fresh content regularly isn’t enough to drive engagement. You also need to interact with your audience to keep the conversation going. This means replying to comments, answering questions, retweeting, tagging your fans, and so on.
Also, get back to your followers as quickly as possible. If someone asks about one of your products and you reply a week later, you risk losing their business.
Use social listening tools like Brandwatch, Brand24, or Sprout Social to monitor brand mentions in real-time. A free alternative is Google Alerts, but it lacks spam filters, analytics tools, and other more advanced features.
#7 Team Up with Complementary Brands
If you’re a startup or small business, you may not have the budget to pay influencers—and that’s okay. What you can do is partner with complementary brands and promote each other’s products.
For example, Red Bull and GoPro joined forces in 2016, launching a series of videos and promo materials that went viral on social media. Their partnership included content production, distribution, and cross-promotion, helping both brands expand their reach.
To get started, look for non-competing businesses with a similar audience as you. If, say, you sell gluten-free snacks, team up with fitness studios, nutritionists, or dieticians.
A nutritionist could write about the benefits of going gluten-free on his blog and social media pages—and recommend your products. In exchange, you’ll tell your followers about his services. You could also work together on podcasts, blog posts, or marketing campaigns.
Final Words: Grow Your Social Media Presence the Smart Way
Social media marketing requires a strategic approach, and the results won’t come overnight. That’s why you must define your audience, choose the right platforms, and publish consistently. Also, engage with your followers and act on their feedback.
But, as the saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” While it’s important to build a solid social media presence, you should first make sure your website is on point.
Compare the best ecommerce website builders, pick one, and set up your online store. Remember to optimize every page and post for search engines before hitting “Publish.” Meanwhile, work on refining your brand’s voice and messaging to ensure consistency across all channels.
Also, be prepared to tweak your social media strategy and overall marketing efforts as needed. Experiment with different platforms and types of content, see how your audience reacts, and make changes along the way.
FAQs
Q1: How long does it take to see results from social media marketing?
Building a strong social media presence takes time and consistency. While you may notice small improvements within a few weeks, significant growth often takes several months of strategic effort.
Q2: What are the best social media platforms for beginners?
Start with platforms that align with your target audience. For example, Instagram and TikTok are great for younger, visual-centric audiences, while LinkedIn works well for professionals and B2B businesses. Focus on 2-3 platforms to avoid spreading yourself too thin.
Q3: How often should I post on social media?
Posting frequency depends on the platform. For example, you might post 1-2 times daily on Instagram but only a few times per week on LinkedIn. Use analytics to determine what works best for your audience.