How to publicize your brand on social media: 6 essential steps

Since the birth of social media in the early 2000s, the percentage of U.S. adults who use social media increased from 5% in 2005 to 79% in 2019. Over the years, social media has evolved from a convenient way for a personalized cohort to communicate to now symbolizing the most effective marketing tool due to its explosive popularity and endless opportunities. As a result of transcending its initial usage, the number of social media users has and will continue to increase as it has become the most direct outlet for organizations to reach a diverse population.

Whether you are a large organization, a small start-up company, or a self-employed entrepreneur, maintaining a social media presence has become expected among consumers, and it serves as a method to understand the wants and needs of your target audience. Advertising your business on social media can build brand awareness and generate leads when effectively promoted across platforms. Navigating how to publicize your brand on social media can be challenging; however, taking the following six steps can help your brand surpass expectations.

1) Identify your audience

By identifying and understanding your target audience, you can communicate your desired message to the right people while effectively meeting your goals. To find your target audience, begin by compiling behavioral, demographic, and personal data on your current customers. Once you have acquired this data, use the social media analytics feature to locate your target audience, and analyze where and when you should post your content. By simply identifying your target audience, you have a higher chance of reaching potential customers and turning exposure into transactions.

2) Create a strategy and define your objectives

It is essential to create a social media plan to serve as a map to identify the goals and objectives of what you're trying to achieve. Furthermore, creating a plan will enable you to track your progress and ensure your objectives are attainable to incur an investment return. Using the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) framework will eliminate generalities and uncertainties, set a precise timeline to follow, and assist in accomplishing your objectives.

3) Use multiple platforms

There are many social media platforms that users engage with daily. Therefore, it's wise to utilize several platforms to promote your brand to maximize your audience reach. However, understanding what platforms your target audience engages with the most will allow you to allocate your time and resources efficiently.

Jessica Rubin, Social and Media Relations Director for Point Loma Sports Club, said, "I recommend using at least more than one social media platform to share your content because it increases the chances that more people view and share your business. For instance, some people who use Instagram may not use Tiktok, and vice versa."

As of 2022, Instagram has 1.44 billion users compared to Tiktok, which has 1.39 billion users. Considering the discrepancy between these two platforms is 50 million users, by utilizing both applications as opposed to just one, you have the potential to reach 50 million more people.

4) Consistently post content

Following a consistent schedule to post your content portrays your company as professional and reliable to your target audience. Furthermore, social media platforms have a set algorithm. The algorithm sorts posts in a user's feed based on relevancy instead of published time. To ensure that your content is visible on your followers' news feeds, consistently posting proves to the algorithm that your content is worthy of being persistently visible.

PR practitioner, Jessica Rubin, said, "When I initially began to use social media to promote my business professionally, I was posting once every few days. My content was not reaching as many people as I had hoped, and I didn't know why. Then, I realized that the Instagram algorithm was shadowbanning my content because I was not posting as frequently as I needed to. Now, I post content daily, which has increased the number of people who view and interact with my account."

Regularly posting content is critical to succeeding with your social media goals. Consider using a social content calendar to create your media posts in advance and apply scheduling tools to upload your content automatically.

5) Interact with followers

Interacting with your social media followers conveys that you care about your audience by making them feel understood, seen, and heard. Spending as little as thirty minutes a day promptly responding to your followers' questions, comments, or concerns is a practical yet straightforward way of providing high customer engagement/satisfaction. In addition, as you routinely interact with your followers, you are simultaneously boosting your publicity by generating unique visitors to your page. It is important to remember that social media is not a broadcasting system; it's a way to engage with current and potential new customers.

6) Partner with influencers and industry leaders

Collaborating with influencers works to publicize your brand by combining your established customers with the influencer's fan base to expand audience reach. Influencers have leverage over their followers due to their well-respected image. They work to sway their followers to invest in your brand by promoting your products on their social media accounts.

Professional mixed martial artist and influencer, Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani, said, "I get daily direct messages from brands who want to partner with me. They send me their products, and I post about them on my account. It's a win-win situation because I get many high-quality products for free, and they get more business from my followers."

Influencers are admired by their followers as they exemplify an ideal and trustworthy figure. As a result, having them adopt and promote your brand to their publics will produce positive effects, such as increased sales for your business.

By Bianca Bosnoyan

Bianca is originally from Hermosa Beach, CA. She moved to San Diego in 2019 to attend San Diego State University. She is working towards her bachelor's degree in Journalism and Media studies with an emphasis in Public Relations, and a minor in French. She intends to work in sports PR after graduating in Spring 2023.