Self-promoting on your social media platforms can be tricky. Many brands are torn between not wanting to alienate potential audiences through spammy interactions, but also knowing that they need to advertise and promote themselves in order to get followers and increase business. When you begin to self-promote on social media platforms, there are some things to keep in mind that will make your self-promotion seamless and effective. Here are some Dos and Don’ts to help you navigate your promotional posts:
Do: Be Honest About What You’re Doing
No need to hide it: you’re advertising for yourself. You know it, and your audience knows it. Or, they should. It’s okay – and good – to be honest that you’re selling something. Even if what you’re selling is your brand and an image, show your self-awareness by including relevant links and calls to action that let your audience know what it is you’re here for: to promote your brand.
Don’t: Use Social Media Only for Ads and Promotions
Your social media presence for your brand is about far more than just boosting sales and advertising your products or services. It’s also about building your audience, engagement, and promoting your brand. Every piece of content you post and every comment and audience engagement contributes overall to the promotion of your brand. You don’t have to sell and promote in every post and comment – it’s also important to focus on building relationships with your audience and learning to listen and engage authentically.
It’s important to promote, but it’s also important to remember that promoting isn’t just limited to replying to every comment with a link to a product saying “Buy this now!” More authentic engagements overall are going to take you farther in turning strangers into customers who then, hopefully, will become fans and will help you promote your brand in the future.
Do: Use Scheduling and Planning
Planning ahead will help you avoid the common pitfall of scrambling to come up with content and delivering promotions that fall into some of these “don’t” categories. The more you can plan ahead and schedule your content, the more prepared you’ll be to make sure that your promotion and other content is fresh. Consider using an agency to manage your marketing and promotions. Companies such as this will help you centralize and manage your social media marketing and will help you plan and schedule posts, as well as helping you look at and analyze data to find your brand’s pain points and strengths. Using tools to help you stay organized and look at all of your marketing promotions in one place will give you invaluable data so that you can find what’s working, what’s not, and make future adjustments accordingly.
Don’t: Give Up if You Don’t Immediately Get the Results You Want
You may not see drastic results immediately. That’s okay! Building your social media presence takes time, especially if the growth is organic. Give your methods a fair run before throwing in the towel. Sometimes it just takes some time for your promotion to work. But the more consistent you can be in delivering quality content and products, the more you’ll see your brand grow.
Do: Use Promos and Special Features for Your Followers
A great way to promote yourself is to give your audience special promo codes, giveaways, or contests. The idea here is that by involving your social media audience and getting them involved in your brand, the more your audience will feel compelled to engage. Special giveaways, contests, and promo codes are still definitely self-promotion, but it gives your audience a special reason to be engaged with your brand.
Don’t: Put Yourself in a Box
Self-promoting on social media is about reaching as many potential customers as you can. So try not to focus on only one social media platform. Use different platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. But be careful not to bite off more than you can chew! Before deciding which social media platforms are best for your business needs, do some research in advance and find out where your audience is. That will help you decide where to focus your efforts so that you’re not spread too thin and all your promotional efforts will be as effective as possible.
Another way to avoid putting yourself in a box is to get creative with promotional posts. Mix up the format, frequency, and promotions to give your audience a dynamic experience. Keep audiences engaged by being unique and authentic while self-promoting. Another great way to stand out is to use video promotions. You can use YouTube to upload the video and post sneak peaks and more on your other social media platforms.
Do: Tell Them Where to Find You
A common, overlooked mistake is forgetting to fill out all aspects of social media profiles. Make sure you’ve included your phone number, email address, website, and other social media locations. Include your Twitter handle in your Instagram bio and vice versa to ensure that your audience can find you easily across platforms. Make sure that you include any branded hashtags in your bio. When crafting your bio, make sure you use precise words to convey exactly who you are. The idea is that when someone clicks on your page or profile, they get an immediate sense of who your brand is and what you do.
These are just a few dos and don’ts to help you as you navigate self-promotion on social media. Promoting your own brand is necessary and probably a big reason you have a social media presence in the first place. By following these tips and guidelines, you can make sure that you’re self-promoting in a way that attracts more customers and fosters your overall relationship with your audience and community.
