How To Promote Your Business?

Social media has revolutionized the way we create and consume content.

The competition in the market is brutal, and you’d want to stand out from the crowd and make sure you are noticed.

Social media has staggering power to influence people. We form opinions and make decisions from what we see in the media. This is what makes social media marketing a powerful way to advertise your business even like Thesisgeek in today’s times.

Looking for effective ways to promote your business? Read on!

1. Make Sure You Are Visible On Major Platforms

Almost all social networks have a feature of setting up your business profile on them. Online business profiles can help you reach your current customers and also target new audiences who frequent these platforms. Major platforms where you should have a business profile – 

Google My Business

A Google My Business profile for your business will help you gain wider visibility and higher optimization. There’s a range of benefits a GMB profile comes with –

1. Get listed on Google and Google Maps. You become discoverable by users.
2. Communicate with them more effectively. Share your photos, updates, and info.
3. Optimize your content according to what works best for you.
4. Track your engagement with customers. Get in-depth analytical insights.

Your GMB profile works as a reference point for all your online footprint. So, make sure the information provided on GMB corroborates with other places.

Instagram for Business

It’s free to set up your business profile on Instagram that can help you earn good money. Utilise Instagram highlights to showcase your best content and key collaborations. Talking numbers, a whopping 90% of users of the platform follow at least one business profile. Whereas 83% of users claim they discover new products on Instagram. 

Needless to say, a business profile on the platform goes a long way in connecting with communities. 

Facebook for Business

Facebook was and still is the social media giant to this day. With 90 million small businesses using Facebook for their business, it’s safe to say it’s more of a necessity to have a business profile on the social network. With a Facebook Business profile, you can –

1. Run paid ads (44% of consumers have reported Facebook has influenced their purchase decision, according to a study.)
2. Be active and responsive to your leads
3. Avoid intense self-promotion
4. Track your analytics

2. Collaborate With Influencers & Brands

Users with a hefty following on social media platforms like Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok can represent your offering to a much larger pool of audience. Leverage their popularity to promote your business.

Influencer partnerships add credibility to your product or service. Followers admire influencers and are trusting of what they endorse.

Humans naturally look up to people who are popular or are tagged “cool.” According to a study, influencer marketing delivers 11x ROI compared to regular mediums of promotions.

You can partner up with micro-influencers if you are looking to connect to your audience on a personal level. Micro-influencers are common people like you and me. It’s hard for regular people to relate to someone who has racked up millions of followers.

This makes teaming up with micro-influencers an effective strategy to promote your business. You are more likely to make a greater impact if you get your word out through people the audience trusts.

You can also try to team up with a fellow brand on the platform and promote each other. Brands can also provide gift cards to influence brand recognition.

For example, see how Donni and Thelma have promoted each other’s brands on Instagram. It’s a great example of how cross-promotion can work to benefit both of you.

3. Invest Time On Instagram & Facebook Story Ads

The world is dynamic. People are always on the move. They neither have time nor patience to absorb long-form content. This was quickly noticed by Facebook, and they launched Story Ads.

These story ads can last up to 120 seconds, while a regular video format on Instagram has a cap of 15 seconds. Story ads are pushed between regular Instagram stories put up by users.

This feature became popular quickly among people ever since it came out, which made 15 million businesses sign up on Instagram.

How do you promote your business with story ads, you ask?

1. Keep your pitch short, crisp, and to the point.
2. Use sound and keep them interactive. Showcase your vibe.
3. Include a strong CTA
4. Personalize them. Avoid hard-sells.

In a world running on left/right swipes, one-thirds of most-viewed Stories are from businesses. And businesses receive a DM from 1 out of 5 viewed stories. Such a form of advertising grabs the viewer’s attention in a second or two; they avoid the fluff yet are highly impactful.

You can use a free and effective tool like VideoCreek to make videos for story ads, blogs, social media posts, or even your Youtube channel – all in 5 minutes. Try it here! 

4. Consider Other Paid Ads Too

Paid ads can have a tremendous impact on customer engagement and conversions. In fact, visitors from PPC ads are about 50% more likely to convert.

Other than video ads on Instagram and Facebook, you can also run different other PPC ads online. Take a look at different paid ads you can run to promote your business:

1. Search Ads – Search ads are the ones you see when you search for something on Google. They are at the beginning and end of search results and contain no visuals.
   
2. Display Ads – These appear on websites partnered with Google and contain visuals. They are highly effective for targeting.
   
3. Instream Ads – The ads you see before a Youtube video are instream ads.
   
4. Other Social Ads – You can also run display ads on all social network sites.

About 75% of people claim paid ads make it quicker and more convenient to find what they searched for. If done right, paid ads can yield stunning results.

5. Hold Live-Streams & Put Up IGTV Videos

Around 82% of people favor live video streams over regular text posts or blogs, a HubSpot article reports. Invest in promoting through live-streams. Clients love it when their brands connect with them in real-time.

Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube provide you with this feature.

Give your clients a glimpse of your business. Make them feel like they belong there. You can show behind-the-scenes, feature people you work with, or give them an office tour. You can even hold a quick chat with your clients; this will bring them closer to your brand and leave a positive impression.

Live videos can also work great if you are looking to get feedback, opinions, or just want to hold a casual QnA session.

Subsequently, you can repurpose your live-stream snippets and put them on your IGTV. 

6. Go Over NAPs For All your Listings

The algorithm that works for search engine results loves authenticity and consistency. The most important details of your business that help customers to connect with you are the Name, Address, and Phone Number – colloquially called the NAP.

References to your business with NAP becomes a citation. This can negatively affect your business’ search engine ranking (local SEO, particularly) if done incorrectly.

If you have a Google My Business Profile, make sure the details on it are accurate. It should agree with the details given on all your other listings online. A mismatch can topple down your search engine ranking.

When your citations in online directories are accurate, Google deems you a trustworthy business, which consequently boosts your SEO. Verified details on each platform make Google validate your business as a legitimate one.

7. Adopt User-Generated-Content & Use Branded Hashtags

Instagram now allows users to create their hashtags that can be put in their bios. You can create such a hashtag for your business and encourage your customers to tag you in their posts whenever they use your products.

This way, your brand gets promoted with its unique badge. You can even create hashtags for contests you run on your account.

This also opens doors for User-Generated-Content. UGC is customer-centric content derived directly from their experiences with your brand.

For example, you run a leather clothing brand ABC on Instagram, and you start a hashtag – #ABCshines.

Now, when your customers flaunt your custom merchandise on their profiles, they use your hashtag – #ABCshines in the caption.

What does your business gain from it?

1. This way, your customers promote your brand at no additional cost.
2. You reach a wider range of audience (their followers).
3. You can use their posts as a form of raw and unfiltered marketing strategy.

UGC will not only benefit your business but also encourage your other customers to hop onto the trend. You can take their permission and feature them on your profile.

8. Run Contests & Giveaways

Who doesn’t like free goodies?

Contests and giveaways are one the fastest ways to generate and boost online footfall for your business. They are also a great way to source new followers and solid leads.

Contests are also an effective way to have your audience use specific hashtags to create UGC. To create a successful contest or giveaway, you need to layout a blueprint before you make it live – When planning a contest or giveaway, it’s crucial to consider various factors, including the target audience, the prize or incentive offered, and the rules and regulations governing the promotion. Additionally, ensuring smooth visa processing for any international participants can be vital, particularly if the prize involves travel or relocation.

1. Define your goal & what it is that you want to achieve through the contest. Is it engagement? Or conversions?
2. Choose a prize that is popular and relevant among your followers. For instance, if you’ve ever built an online course, that’s the perfect giveaway as your followers know, like, and trust you already.
3. Finalize the promotion channels.

A few ways you can hold contests are –

1. Hold a trivia
2. Run a referral program
3. Hold a lucky draw
4. Lead them on a scavenger hunt
   
   

9. Get Reviews – Create Testimonials

You can leverage the power of word-of-mouth to your gain. Over 90% of consumers read reviews online before investing in any product or service. Reviews are very important for your brand perception.

Customers sometimes perceive businesses indulging in self-promotion in a negative light. They are less likely to be convinced with what you say or claim.

This is where reviews and testimonials can come to your rescue. They can prove to be an excellent way to promote your business since they hear it first-hand from customers like them. Their say validates what you claim.

You can create innovative videos with your happy customers detailing their experience with your business.

1. They can talk about the issues they were facing before they came across your offering – How it was affecting their personal/professional life.
2. They can then go on to talk about how your business provided them with the perfect solution.
   
   

10. Devise An Email Marketing Strategy

Building a relationship with your customers over emails is a slow and steady game that pays off in the end. Emails give a strong ROI in time – for every $1 you spend, you can expect to make $42! 

Emails are a proven promotion strategy that gives you plenty of room to communicate with your customers. Emails serve as strong leads that you can use to fill up your funnel of prospects. A successful promotion email provides customers with value.

Mention Your Online Profiles In Your Emails & Newsletters

Interlink your online presence in your emails and newsletters. Let your customers find you wherever you are. Whether it’s your social media profiles, your website, or an online listing, put them below as an ending note in your email communication. For example – Stay updated with our weekly offers and cool contests on our socials! – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and so on.

If you have a website, link your social media profiles there too.

Emailing Tips To Market Your Business

Optimize your emails for mobiles. A study showed that almost 60% of email opens come from smartphones. Mobiles are convenient, unlike computers.

1. Design your emails to fit dark mode. Dark interfaces have become popular in the last couple of years.
2. Keep your emails simple and basic. Avoid embellishment.
3. Give a clear and convincing CTA.
   
   

11. Optimize Your Content According To The Platform

Not all social networks cater to the same kind of audience.

It’s best to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach. Create targeted content that appeals to different people. Sometimes, it is not about people, but about the way they consume content.

For example, Instagram is a more visual-centric platform. Users create, share, and absorb content on Instagram through pictorial or video representation. Whereas, Facebook is more about story-telling. Businesses discuss and connect with their audience more with words.

On the other hand, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have a relatively younger audience. Using Humor, colors, and memes might work well in marketing your business on these platforms.

But this probably won’t work on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a professional social network; you will have to have content that best suits a professional setting to drive maximum results.

12. Be Prompt & Stay Relevant

As days pass by, businesses are adopting a more customer-centric approach to working. Consumer preferences are changing, and according to them, solutions are too.

To be a well-liked and talked-about brand, you need to make sure all concerns by customers are addressed needfully and quickly. Be available and prompt in addressing the matter before they escalate the issue any further.

You should be prompt to answer any queries and be responsive to mentions, comments, etc. If you’re short-staffed or limited in time, you can always use outsourced 24/7 virtual receptionist services to promptly answer calls, chats, and texts from potential clients.

When your audience connects with your business, you nurture a sense of brand loyalty. It also gives them the impression that you are aware and informed of the current scenario.

For example, Coca-Cola is consistently active during the COVID-19 pandemic by revamping its advertising to suit the present times. Look at how optimistic, positive, and creative their COVID-19 communication was:

13. Be Humorous

Tickle someone’s funny-bone, and they will like you so much more!

No one wants to see monotonous and repetitive content on their feeds. Staying unimaginative can hurt your business’ growth. Try to come up with funny stories, thoughts, events, quotes, or just anything that can cheer up your audience. Humor goes a long way in reaching new people.

It’s best to understand that perpetual self-promotion can get annoying. You don’t want your clients to feel that you are a sell-out. Make them happy to be associated with your brand. Satisfied customers are your best form of advertisement.

14. Leverage Social Listening tools to monitor and market your brand 

You can leverage social listening tools like Notifier to alert you when keywords like your brand name or the name of your competitor are mentioned on Twitter, Reddit, and the entire internet!  You can then chime in and respond to customer issues, market yourself as an alternative, invite customers to try your brand, and much much more! The possibilities are endless.

Promote Your Business Like a Pro!

There are various ways you can advertise your business online. But, it is important that you do it right.

There are more than just thirteen ways you can advertise your business (one such way is using online flyers) as long as you know what works the best for your business. 

Your promotion channel can vary with different factors – your products, company size, your target audience, etc. Channelize your promotional effort into a way that can be most lucrative to your business.

Get started with VideoCreek today to make creative and fun videos now!