When it comes to your business’s online presence, optimization is one of the most important parts of your digital strategy. If you build it, it needs to be optimized so “they” can get there.
Enter Social Media Optimization. Chances are you’ve heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which drives traffic to your website via search engines. SMO is similar, and if done properly, it will drive traffic to your website via social media channels. The best part? It also contributes to search engine rankings thanks to content shared.
If your business has an active Facebook or Instagram page, chances are you’ve seen all the ways you can make that page your own, this is part of the optimization process.
Let’s jump into a few ways you can prep your business to benefit from SMO:
Run a social media audit to make sure your pages are optimized
To audit your social pages, simply log in to each page and take a look at what you see. Is the information still relevant? Take a look at all of your contact information, click on your website link to make sure it’s taking your followers back to your website and that it’s not a broken link.
Are your pages giving your customers or followers enough information that they have a grasp of who you are as a business, what you are selling, or how you can help them? If not, fill in the gaps and make sure to utilize your key industry terms that best describe your product or service.
Are your bios filled out? Do your Facebook applications still work or are they giving you a dead link? Do you have Instagram story highlight covers created? Do all your pictures have captions? Are your images professional and on-brand?
This audit is to make sure you have every applicable aspect of your social media account pages filled out to the best of your ability and that they can function as a second website for your followers.
Claim your business on every platform
Chances are your business is not listed on all social media platforms or review sites, but now is the time to at least claim your business name and set up your profile. Make sure to optimize the page by including your logo, adding in an applicable cover photo that best represents your business, adding in a bio using key terms (see step 1), adding in your contact information, and finally, link back to your website.
Next, you’ll want to create a post. I know…you don’t want to manage content on all the platforms, but I promise this will be painless. Create a post that links users back to the social media platforms that you are active on. The purpose of this is to claim your business name and to have a presence with an optimized profile on each social network. This can help with additional SMO but also prevents John Doe from signing up for Twitter using your business name and posting something that may not be business-friendly. This move will potentially safeguard you from a social media catastrophe.
Identify your target audience
Who is your ideal customer? Identifying your target audience or ideal customer is the next step in expanding your reach on social media.
Once you’ve identified who you are after, with a little research, it’s easier to understand the type of content they are looking for, the best time to reach them, and how to easily reach more of them through social media advertising via look-a-like audiences.
Creating content that is beneficial to your business
Once you know your target audience, create content that is both beneficial to your business and beneficial to your audience. This is the type of content that will link back to your website and provide value to your followers with helpful tips or information surrounding your industry. This will be the type of content they will want to share with their friends and this is the main goal. Once they share, this = more reach.
However, it’s not all about reach
Engagement is crucial to increase your chances of interacting with your customers and expanding your reach. Customers like, follow, and share brands that they trust. If you are engaging with your followers and showcasing that you care to spend time to answer questions, respond to their comments, or even like their posts, this is the start of trust and building brand loyal followers.
Set aside time every week or every other day to engage with your followers online and start building rapport with your target audience. Chances are you will see your followers interacting and sharing your content more often. You may even see some natural brand ambassadors arising from your content posts, these are the followers that always engage and share.
Make sure your website is social media friendly
List your social media icons in a visible and precise location to let your visitors know where else they can find you online. If a website visitor is an avid reader of your blog, enable social share options via your blog to make sure readers can share with their friends via their favorite social media channels, even if it’s a channel that you’re not currently active on.
And finally, stay consistent
Stay on a social media posting schedule to let your followers know when they can expect to hear from you. Produce valuable content weekly to keep them coming back for more. Stay top of mind by engaging with your audience and respond to ALL questions or comments. Create a relationship and be a brand or a business they can count on.
If you’re ready to get started with SMO but can’t possibly fit this into your already hectic schedule, you’ve come to the right place. Connect with our team at (888) 632-4499 today or sign up for a free consultation with us here.
