When mos🐻t businesses think about their approach to social media, they think about ads. 

We all understand that social networks are a vital platform to connect with your audience. But ads aren’t the only way to connect. Instead, you could focus on an organic approach that 168极速赛车官网:resonates with your audience, provides genuine value, ✱and stands out from the salesy clutter.

This is how I teach my clients to “show up” on social so they can build authღentic connections with their buyers — all without having to sp♏end a dime.

Below, I’ll walk you through the steps yo🐠u can follow and share some examples to inspire you.

Ready? Let’s dive in. 

Understanding where your audience spends its time

The first step to any social strategy is understanding how your audience uses social media. This is a crucial step that should not be skipped. Now, i🔯t’s not just important to know what networks they use, it’s also important to know how they use them.

The more information you get on the front end, the better you c🐻an avoid spreading yourself too thin.&nb🎃sp;

For example, is your audience on Pinterest? Maybe, but they might not be on Pinterest in a mindset that matches what you sell. If you work in an aesthetically-focussed sector like architecture or interior design, Pinterest might make perfect sense for you. If you’re a software business, maybe not. If you’re in home improvement, it’s probably Facebook. If you’re B2B, 168极速赛车官网:LinkedIn is probably your best bet, but it depends on🎉 what you sell and who you sell 🐓it to. 

So, you need to figure out the where and the how of your audience’s social media habits. (And while you’re at it, maybe the why ൲and the when as well.)   

My colleague Lindsey Auten put together 168极速赛车官网:🎀a whole post on this topജic a few weeks ago. In brief, she recommends that you follow these steps to know where your customers hang out. Each step will give you valu🍸able insights. You should read her article, bu🀅t here’s a brief rundown: 

1. Talk to current customers about their social media habits.
2. Research your competitors to see what kinds of content they share and what their engagement looks like.
3. Analyze your current approach to see what’s worked well for you. 
4. Start social listening with tools like , , or .
5. Monitor industry trends and social platform changes.
6. Experiment with different content and different platforms to see what resonates.
7. Engage with online communities to learn about platforms and offer value.

The more you know, the better you’ll do, so put in the work to learn about who you wꦚant to reach.

Social media is a place for connection first, business second

Social media at its core is meant for people to connect with other people. We can’t f🌟orget that. As a brand, the best way to connect with people is to offer them value. Create content that helps them solve a problem or he꧙lps them save money.

Below are some examples from brands that are ൲helpful, not salesy. As users, we know these posts come from businesses, but we appreciate that there’s no sales pitch here. It’s just expertise they’🥀re sharing with us. 

As a first example, check out this YouTube video created by called “Why does my knee hurt?” This content isn’t ♓pushing physical therapy. Instead, it offers real-world solutions for a problem that millions of 🔥people face every day. 

EW Motion T🃏herapy is an Alabama-based business with brick and mortar locations. Still, they’re putting out content for the w𒀰hole world to see. They’re offering value, sharing expertise, and connecting with an audience. 

Next, on LinkedIn provides marketers with valuable information without going for the hard sell. Andy and his team are web developers. They’re clearly experts in the sp൲ace, but again there’s no sales pitch. It’s free, helpful content for a broad audience.

Third, here’s an💧 Instag🅘ram post from talking about how to solve a problem that’s honestly pretty relatable.

We know that Lowe’s sell🗹s appliances, but there’s no pitch, only value — and a touch of humor. Even though Lowe’s is a massive corporation, production value is platform-appropriate. This feels social, not commercial, and that’s the whole point.

In each case we see a brand being helpful in a way that’s totally approachable. There’s no hinᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚt of salesmanship in any of these, but there’s a clear presentation of expertise. 

Notice, too, that these types of posts can be entertaining as well as informative. 🐽Social media can be fun, after all. 

Be a community member

Most important of all is to rem🗹ember that social media platforms are communities. Or, at 🎐least they’re supposed to be.

Communities are places that people share. So, as you’re planning on producing content, make sure you’re also planning on how to be a good community member. Thaꦕt means you shouldn’t just blast out posts and expect t🦋o get a following. A few reminders:

• Pay attention to the culture of the platform
• Boost other creators with likes, comments, and follows
• Engage with people in your audience
• 168极速赛车官网:Respond to comments on your posts
• Answer questions, share insights, and join conversations

is a co-owner here at IMPACT. He’s also a bestselling author and a keynote speaker. Heꦓ posts on LinkedIn pretty regularly, and he ALWAYS circles back to reply to comments that his posts get.

Marcus usually responds to every single comment. And as he does, he builds trust and builds his network.&♋nbsp;

Measuring success in social media for your business

Success on social media can’ꦰt always be measured by revenue metrics. You have to accept that you’re play🙈ing a long game. Building an audience takes time and requires consistency. 

Engagement, follower growth, and brand awareness are key 168极速赛车官网:indicators of your soci🌳🌜al media strategy's impact. 

There’s no shortage of analytics tools that can help you measure how you’re doing. Don't be afra🎶id to adjust you𒐪r approach based on these insights — but stay true to the core identity of your brand. 

And remember the ripple effect. If you connect with one person, that person will have a favorable impr𝔍ession of your brand — and it’s possible they’ll share that impression with their network. 

One person may influence five. Or 10. Now imagine if you connect with 10♔ people. Or 50. Or 5,000.

The social media strategy that puts customers first

As any so🎃cial media user scrolls through a feed, roughly every third post is an ad. In this landscape, brands have the opportunity to stand out by being genuinely helpful, engaging, and authentic, not just another ad someone swipes past. (Although ads certainly have their place too!)

By understanding your audಌience, choosing the right ꦍplatforms, and creating content that resonates, you can build a community that trusts and admires your brand. 

To learn more about a social media strategy that drives authentic engagement, 168极速赛车官网:reach out to an IMPACT expert. We help businesses like yours creatꦯe fans and drive revenue.