Sibusiso Mkhize
Want to attract a big audience and make an impact on social media? Sibusiso Mkize shares
some advice to help you thrive.
Making a great impact on social media and attracting a big audience is challenging, and building a substantial following can take time. It also takes strategy, consistency and authenticity. Here are five checkpoints to help you grow and thrive on your chosen platform.
Keep it short and simple
Apply the KISS principle. No one wants to read an entire essay on Instagram or Twitter. Be
extremely concise and use simple words your audience can easily understand.
“Every word should serve a purpose. Every sentence should be valuable. Every paragraph
should shape the narrative. Choosing words carefully positions you to capture attention,” says Michelle Clark, blogger and social media enthusiast.
A simple and straightforward approach will keep your audience hooked and interested in your social media pages. #HashtagsAreTheWayToGo
Without hashtags even great posts can end up being ignored and missing out on wider reach and engagement. A1 Future, a marketing agency, says hashtags increase brand engagement and adds
value to your page.
“Hashtags leverage engagement, they are the symbols that attract the attention of your target people and bring them to your account. When a business posts its content on social media with specific hashtags, you are bound to become prominent among others,” is their advice.
Paint a picture through words
Posting a beautiful picture is wonderful, but without a powerful, attention-grabbing caption it’s a little pointless. A good caption is an asset that amplifies the image, draws in your audience and broadens your reach.
The goal is to be spontaneous yet smart. It is equally important that your written copy stays in line with your social media brand. Your captions and written content should reflect your personality at all times.
Tag other brands/influencers
Your pages are not just about you, but about your audience. Whether you’re posting about
fashion, beauty or food, they’re likely to be interested in other content in the same category.
Tagging other brands, people and influencers will help direct people to your social media pages and help you gain more followers. Marketing strategy agency, O Creative, says tagging helps increase your social media page visibility. “When you tag people or things in a post or photo, you are identifying them and essentially ‘linking’ them in your post,” they explain.
Re-post
As much as posting your own content is beneficial to your audience, re-posting content that’s aligned to your social media pages lets your audience know you’re engaged with and interested in other social media pages. This allows you to grow your engagement as well as your reach.
Pixlee.com states, “When you re-post on Instagram, you’re communicating a couple of different positive things about your brand. To begin with, it opens a direct line of communication between your brand and its customers. Re-posting shows that you care about your community and that you celebrate your fans.”
Catch The next big trender from the 19 th of March 2020 on DStv channel 173. Fridays. WAT (17:00) CAT (18:00) EAT (19:00).
