There are so many different social media platforms in existence at the moment. It can be tempting to just join and post constantly on everything in order to try and reach the most amount of people. However, it is better to target your main social media to your audience and build up from there. Start smaller—claim domains, but creating content can be expensive and time consuming, meaning you are better off investing in fewer mediums originally, and then growing as your audience does. Before getting too carried away, you should do research into your industry and trends. Look at the popular accounts and posts; take note of what is similar and what is successful. Determine what the main characteristics are and figure out how to build on it differently.
Researching your competition is essential in finding your content niche. The most important thing to remember is to be consistent throughout your media; make sure it all uses the same branding, design, names and all the information is up to date. This section will provide a brief run down on some of the most popular social media sites. Different sites work in different manners, but, most of all, remember to keep up with the trends. A website A website is an essential part of any personal brand. While it may be tempting to skip this platform in favor of social media which tend to have higher user rates, a website is not an outdated concept! It is the perfect center of information for your personal branding. You can use other platforms to share some of that information, but it is essential to have one, easy to navigate place that consumers can access. It should, of course, have links to all your other social media profiles and contact information.
Facebook is one of the biggest social media platforms in the world. Everyone is on it, which means you need to be careful how you use it. Use a business page and attach it to a business profile account that aligns with your personal branding. Be active and share content from other platforms. Being active on Facebook is key—make sure that you page has a high response time and you post on a regular basis. Joining Facebook groups, “liking” and interacting with similar profiles are a great way to build up your audience.
Twitter is a good way to connect with similar people, so make sure you follow all the relevant influencers and brands in your industry. Interaction is very important on Twitter, the best way to build up a following is to interact with other people’s tweets, as well as posting your own. Weigh-in on discussions that are relevant and use hashtags to reach a wider audience. Twitter threads are a great way to share some of your content and do not forget to reply and interact with people who Tweet at you!
One of the most popular photo sharing websites is Instagram. Instagram is also a good example of ensuring that you follow the trends. What once was a site where you could post random, overedited pictures of your friends, has turned to a platform for people to carefully curate the best image of themselves possible—showing them being successful and having fun, effortlessly. More recently, however, Instagram has seen a recent uptake in “carousels.” These tend to be aesthetically laid out collections of information, written clearly in in simple terms that get shared around. Before the middle of 2020, these were not really used. Instagram stories were not the place for the average people to share knowledge or quotes—for the most part. Now, however, the ways people use Instagram are changing; make sure you are aware of this!
Pinterest can be seen as more of a niche social media site. People turn to Pinterest for inspiration, ideas, and step-by-step guides to achieving things. When uploading content to Pinterest, it should be artistic and visual, descriptions should be detailed, and any boards named specifically, too. Having a consistent and clear design on Pinterest is pivotal—else your content will get lost in the clutter. WordPress or other blogging platform Starting a blog is a good way to begin to create content for your audience. It is an easy method for you to begin to share your personal branding. Using quality keywords, hashtags and SEO is essential to getting discovered.
Blogging
Blogging about other people, tools or events within your industry is a great way to get your content out there so others have more of an inclination to share it. Your posts should also be shared to other sites to increase traffic. LinkedIn LinkedIn is the social networking site for professionals. Having a detailed profile outlining your goals, business and past experience is a fantastic way to add professionalism to your personal branding. It is a platform full of likeminded people looking to make connections, grow their own businesses and further their own careers. It is a great place to post your own content.
YouTube
The biggest video sharing platform is YouTube, and many people use it to look for information. Videos are a great way to share your expertise; some audiences would rather watch, than read. However, it is important to remember that recording and editing high quality videos can be time consuming. Podcasts Podcasts are a newly popular medium. It is a very personal media type, and listeners often feel a real connection with the speakers. Audiences feel like they know and trust the hosts, even though they have never met. For this reason, podcasts are a great way to build an intimate connection with your audiences.
This was not an exhaustive list of all the social media platforms, just the major ones. There are many other sites out there, some with very niche userbases that could be perfect for your target audiences. It is, of course, worth noting that different sites have different sharing abilities and having a following on Instagram, and then starting a podcast and using Instagram to promote, for example. The key to social media is simply to stand out and putting your high-quality content on the right platforms is the easiest way to grow your following. Irrespective of which platform you choose, you audience will only grow if you provide them with quality content.
Once you have decided on your medium; there are a few different methods that you can use to grow your brand and authority. Having strong personal branding immediately positions yourself as an authority and you content will reflect this, too. Creating content The best way to grow your personal branding is to create content. Creating your own, quality content is the best method to show that you are an expert, that you are trustworthy and that you deserve your audience’s time. It works best if you curate content specifically for the medium you are primarily posting on. However, posts can also be shared to other platforms for increased visibility. Getting involved in Facebook groups is a great way to interact with your audience is a more casual way. Direct, personal interaction will make them trust and respect you. Once you have enough of an audience, you could also start your own Facebook group for your content. Instagram posts, blog posts, and videos are all fantastic ways to grow your branding. But, of course, quality is better than quantity. Post as much valuable content as possible and try to include a call to action for your audience. Your content does, of course, need to be unique. It should reflect your personal branding; your values and your goals; and speak to your target audience in such a way that they feel compelled to act.
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