Tips to Improve Your Social Media Presence

Tips for improving your social media presence

Growing your business’s social media presence is crucial if you want to reach more consumers and make more sales. Here are 16 tips for improving your social media presence.

1. Take stock of your current social media presence.

Before you can improve your social media presence, you must take stock of your engagement and activities on your current platforms. For example, note the following: 

• How many followers do you have on each platform? 
• How many likes, shares and comments do you receive on your posts? 
• How frequently do you interact with followers? 
• Which posts perform well and which don’t?

This exercise will give you a road map of what’s working and what isn’t so you can focus your efforts where they’re most needed. You’ll also establish a baseline against which to compare your progress.

2. Decide what you want to accomplish via social media. 

Your goals for specific social platforms will likely vary. For example, you may want to improve your follower count on some platforms and focus on increasing engagement on others. You may want to boost shares, encourage comments, tweak your content type and more.

Focus on setting SMART goals for your social media presence — that is, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals. For example, you may want to add 600 Instagram followers within 90 days. Once you reach your goal in one area, shift to another area, platform or account or set a new, more ambitious goal for continuous improvement.

3. Ensure your social media accounts attract the right followers. 

You might have many social media followers, but if few of them are potential customers, you’re wasting your time. Assess your social media traffic and followers and determine the percentage of people who purchase something. If it’s a very small percentage, you may be attracting the wrong people to your social media accounts.

Research your customers and learn their interests so that you can tailor content to their needs. You may also want to realign your efforts to focus on the social media platforms your target audience uses more frequently.

4. Set the right tone on your social media platforms. 

Social media users generally appreciate friendlier, more casual interactions on social platforms, compared to the stiffer, more professional tone websites and brochures typically employ. Don’t be afraid to strike a conversational tone and use emojis in posts and while interacting with followers’ comments. Prospects want to see your business’s more authentic, human side in a social media setting.

Still, you must be positive and polite, especially when addressing a customer service complaint on social media. Other followers will note your reactions and responses. However, if a social media follower is being abusive or otherwise acting like a troll, firmly and calmly rejecting their negative comments is OK.

5. Plan your social media content.

Juggling multiple social media accounts can be overwhelming. To keep things organized and streamlined, create an editorial calendar where you plan appropriate longer content pieces, such as blog posts, along with social media contests, events and promotions to link to and promote weekly. When you post about the same or similar subjects on different platforms, you can evaluate the kind of content that performs best for each platform. 

An editorial calendar can also help ensure you don’t repeat content or ignore subjects your followers care about. To engage your audience on social media, mix up the types of content you post each month, including some text and image posts, some videos, some links and some posts with just images.

6. Use the right tools to optimize your social media posts.

To improve your social media presence, you must post often and at optimal times. Best practices differ according to the platform. The problem is that business owners are often too busy to log into social accounts constantly and generate content.

Fortunately, social media management tools like Buffer and Hootsuite can help automate your social posting, saving you time while ensuring your continued active presence. These tools let you manage all your social accounts in one place, schedule posts weeks in advance, post at preferred times when the most users will see them and analyze how well your posts are doing. 

It is also helpful to take advantage of built-in social media business tools on various platforms. For example, Facebook business tools offer audience insights and advertising channels while X offers tools for advertising and growing your presence.

7. Focus on customer service via social media.

Social media has become a robust customer service platform. Instead of calling a business or waiting hours (sometimes days) for a company to respond to an email, many customers experiencing issues now turn to social media for help.

Focusing on helping people is an excellent way to grow your social media presence. Using social media as a customer service platform will funnel more users to your accounts and make resolving their issues easier. For example, using X (formerly Twitter) as a customer support channel publicly showcases your service efforts, which can affect your company’s public perception positively — especially if you do a good job.

According to McKinsey data, customers spend 20 to 40 percent more with companies that respond to customer service requests on social media — and companies that don’t lose 15 percent more customers per year.

8. Promote your social media accounts.

Don’t expect your customers to know about all your social media platforms and search for them. Instead, you must share your social accounts with prospects and customers. If you make it easy for customers to follow or like your social media profiles, they’ll be more willing to take action.

Promote your social media presence to your customers and ask them to interact with you on your accounts. Here are some examples of how to promote your social media accounts: 

• Add social media icons to your website.
• Add your social media feeds to your website sidebar.
• Include social links in your email signatures.
• Tell people to follow you on social media at the end of your blog posts.
• Promote your social media accounts in your email marketing. 

You should also cross-promote your social media accounts within and across platforms. Include hashtags and account names in each social media bio section to encourage followers to engage with you on multiple platforms. The more people who are aware of your presence on social media, the bigger it will be.

9. Pay attention to what’s trending in the social media space.

One of the best ways to create a more extensive social media presence for your business is to track social media trends and catch hot trends at the right time. Riding a popular trend can get your profile in front of new users and could even help your posts go viral.

Stay on top of trends by keeping an eye on what’s popular. For instance, on X, you can see the top trending hashtags on the left side of the homepage in the Trends for You section. Look at what hashtags you can use to get more views. While it helps to use hashtags that relate to your business, they don’t have to be strictly relevant. If your accounting company can come up with a fun post for #NationalDonutDay, go for it.

10. Focus on eye-catching visuals for your social media posts.

Getting noticed in crowded social media feeds is a challenge, so you must make your business stand out. Focusing on attention-grabbing visuals is one of the best ways to increase your presence on social media. 

Avoid using too many boring stock photos. Instead, focus on images that will connect with users. Share high-quality, behind-the-scenes photos and images of people using your products. Encourage customers to send in photos of them interacting with your product — a strategy that also builds social proof and consumer trust. 

Video branding is also an effective social media strategy, as users enjoy engaging with videos. Post videos on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Don’t neglect short-form video platforms like TikTok — especially if your target market is young.

11. Actively engage with your audience on social media.

Would you keep talking to someone who never returned your messages? Probably not. Users won’t want to follow or interact with you on social media if they get nothing in return. Engaging with your audience actively on social media is crucial.

To grow your social media presence, your social media accounts must become a community. Here are some ways to connect with your audience: 

• Like and reply to comments on your posts. 
• Pose and answer questions in posts.
• Show appreciation to your followers and customers by thanking them and sharing user-generated content. 
• Provide social-only discounts with coupons for followers.
• Preview new product launches. 
• Hold contests and giveaways to add fun interaction and active engagement. 
• Follow back interesting followers, influencers and members of your target audience.

Each social media platform caters to a different audience, so tailor your posts to the platform. For example, keep LinkedIn posts more professional and sales-oriented, share light-hearted GIFs and memes on Snapchat and showcase intriguing photography on Instagram.

12. Post regularly on your social media platforms.

Your post frequency must strike the right balance. You don’t want your followers to forget about you or think you’ve gone out of business because they never hear from you. However, you don’t want to bombard them with posts that seem “spammy” and prompt them to unfollow you. 

Different platforms have various post-frequency best practices. Consider the following guidelines for ideal posting timelines:

• Facebook: 1-2 posts per day
• Instagram: 1-2 posts per day
• LinkedIn: 1 post per day
• Pinterest: 15-25 pins per day
• YouTube: 1 video per week
• X: 1-4 posts per day
• TikTok: 1-4 posts per day

13. Supplement organic posts with paid social ads.

When you want to expand your following, including some paid ads on your social media platforms can expand your reach. It’s also a good way to create a stronger presence because paid social ads are more likely to be seen, even by your current followers. Social selling and social shopping are becoming more popular and are supported by multiple social platforms, so this tactic can also help you boost sales.

14. Optimize your social media profiles. 

Each platform has a profile for your business that you set up when you first joined. If the person who initially set up your profile was in a hurry and didn’t complete all fields or if things have changed since you created your profile, such as your website URL, branding, location or positioning, you should update and complete all relevant available fields. 

Your profile data is seen by people who are considering following your account and is used in the platform’s internal search algorithm. Keeping this information current is a small time investment that can yield significant benefits. 

15. Keep your eye on social platform algorithms.

You may have optimized your content for a platform’s current search algorithms, but these are subject to change. Social media platforms typically announce when they make changes, so it’s crucial to watch for notices. Ensure your marketing team is ready to shift to preferred content types. Algorithm shifts typically track with user behavior, so if you are in tune with your users, you may already be ahead of the game.

16. Look outside your industry or niche on social media. 

Your audience may be concerned about or interested in a new trend, movement or current event. To connect with them genuinely, consider weighing in on the issue with a link, hashtag or content piece. For example, you can promote Small Business Saturday (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) with the hashtag #SmallBusinessSaturday and links to small businesses in your community. If your audience is particularly interested in climate change, you can support a charitable organization that advocates for environmental conservation.

In many instances, the organizations you promote will, in turn, promote you back by following you, thanking you or contacting you for advertising partnerships or cross-promotions, exposing your company to a new audience. However, be careful that your outside promotions don’t support competitors and that they align with your — and your followers’ — values. 

Why a strong social media presence matters in business

Social media is a powerful, effective medium for brand promotion and sales. Taking time to create and strengthen your social media presence can benefit your business in the following ways: 

• A strong social media presence will expand your business’s reach: Social media is heavily used. According to Kepios, at the beginning of 2024, 207 million Americans aged 18 and older were on social media, equating to 77.4 percent of the adult population of the United States. This ubiquity makes social media a great way to expand your company’s reach. 
• A strong social media presence can be a competitive advantage: Because social media is so popular, most companies have a social media presence of some kind. However, not all of your competitors will be good at it. If you are, you’ll gain a distinct advantage. Conversely, having a weak or nonexistent social media presence is a significant competitive disadvantage.
• A strong social media presence boosts brand awareness: Boosting brand awareness online is crucial for businesses. When people on social media see your posts and become followers, your brand is exposed to many people at a low cost. These prospects may not otherwise have become aware of your company and its products. 
• A strong social media presence improves website traffic: When your followers are engaged with you on social media, some will become more curious about your company. They may click on your blog or product links or seek out your website. This additional traffic will improve your search engine rankings.
• A strong social media presence increases sales: Since your social media followers are already somewhat knowledgeable about your company and what it does, they are a much warmer lead than someone who just stumbled across your website. As a bonus, followers can purchase products directly via paid social media posts on platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
• A strong social media presence generates leads: Generating sales leads is a great byproduct of a robust social media presence. If you have products with a longer sales cycle, your social media posts can help educate prospects about your products and why they should buy them. You can capture contact information via online forms you link to in your social posts. 
• A strong social media presence fosters customer communication: Social media is interactive and allows you to communicate with interested people en masse and individually. You can respond to followers’ questions and comments, building a rapport that is challenging to replicate in other marketing vehicles.
• A strong social media presence humanizes your company: Social media creates a casual forum where you can interact with potential and current customers. You can drop the corporate facade a bit and show your company’s human side, including its employees. This openness can endear you to your followers and create a dedicated fan base.
• A strong social media presence helps you tell your brand’s story: Social platforms support all kinds of content, but they shine with images and videos. You can tell your brand’s story by showing your production process, the care you use to make your products and the people behind them. 

Social media mistakes to avoid

Social media is a complex universe with many details that are important to get right. Avoid these common social media mistakes to present the best social media presence possible:

• Sharing low-quality content: Social media users have endless accounts to peruse if you don’t give them valuable social media content. Don’t use generic or predominantly sales-focused content. Focus on your target market’s interests — find what will surprise and intrigue them or make them laugh. Use high-quality, preferably original images and videos. Nobody wants to see stock footage or images all the time, so use those judiciously. 
• Not optimizing your bio: Every social media platform has a profile or bio section. Social media platforms use keywords in profiles to rank accounts in searches, so include relevant keywords in yours. Social bios are also a great way to introduce your company to people who may have never heard of you. Tell your story and express your brand’s personality to capture potential customers’ interest. The bio is also the ideal place to include links to your website or email newsletter sign-up page to move people down your sales funnel.
• Using a personal account instead of a business account: Even if your business relies on your name and background, it’s best to use business accounts for your social media outreach. In addition to looking more professional, a business account gives you access to analytics tools that would otherwise be unavailable. Monitor these analytics to see where you’re doing well and what areas need improvement.
• Buying followers: If you only have a few social media followers, you might be tempted to buy followers to give your accounts some credibility. Don’t do it. These so-called followers are mostly bot accounts and people who are not genuinely interested in your business. They won’t engage with you, share your posts or promote your content. Fake followers will also make it difficult to get accurate information about your promotion and engagement strategies. Commit to the long road of actually earning your followers.
• Neglecting captions: Captions are an often-overlooked way to maintain attention after your photo has caught someone’s eye. A caption can give users more context and might prompt them to comment. Additionally, every video posted to social media should have subtitles. This allows people to watch them with the sound off at work, in public or in a noisy environment.
• Ignoring comments and mentions: Unlike most other marketing channels, social media is interactive, so reacting to and engaging with others is essential. Train a digital marketing expert to monitor your social media accounts and respond to comments and questions as soon as possible. Monitoring your mentions is also crucial, so you can thank anyone who takes the time to promote your business. If you need help, social media monitoring tools can track internet chatter and alert you anytime someone mentions your business. 
• Not being authentic: Authenticity is highly prized on social media and looking fake is a big mistake that will alienate potential customers. Use photos of actual employees rather than models and express your brand’s personality on your accounts. You should also be authentic in how you handle comments. While you may be tempted to remove negative comments to protect your brand reputation, don’t do it. Social media users know there will always be unhappy people; if your comments look too sanitized, they won’t trust you. Instead of removing negative comments, respond to them, apologize for the situation, emphasize your commitment to customer happiness and express appreciation for the customer feedback. Then, contact them directly to resolve the issue if possible.

Examples of businesses with a strong social media presence

The following companies have worked hard to create an effective social media presence across various platforms. 

Nike

Nike has a strong presence across various social media platforms but, since it is a consumer brand, it focuses its energy on Facebook, where it has 39 million followers and Instagram, where it has 306 million followers. Nike promotes its own products and collections but also highlights athletes, both professional and amateur. Nike’s post showing actor Kevin Hart running the New York City Marathon got over 74,000 likes, 5,800 comments and 4,500 shares. 

Source: Facebook

Sony PlayStation

Sony’s PlayStation brand dominates X, with 36.4 million followers. It posts videos of its gameplay and characters to generate interest in new and existing games and interviews with the people behind its games and music. It is also a great cross-promoter of other accounts, including related Sony gaming accounts and strategic partners, expanding its reach further. The below repost of a Call of Duty video post garnered over 416,000 views and 579 likes.

Source: X

Chipotle

With over 2.3 million followers, Chipotle has one of the largest presences on TikTok. It posts funny videos featuring its products and customers, cementing its positioning as a fun place to eat. The two-frame video below starts with the text “I just got Chipotle” and then displays a multiple-choice question text overlay asking followers what to do now. It got over 270,000 views and 14,100 likes.

Source: TikTok