Social media has changed the game for businesses everywhere. Suddenly, business owners can connect with thousands of potential customers without even opening their doors. Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have created space for brands and consumers to socialize and build relationships. These relationships and connections lead to trust, which can lead to sales.
Unfortunately, many business owners underestimate how long that process can take. The crux of successful social media marketing is networking and nurturing, both of which take time.
Forging Relationships from Scratch Takes Time
There’s a reason most people don’t get married after the first date. You don’t know the person well enough; you don’t know if you can trust them or will even enjoy spending time together.
The same thinking applies to social media marketing.
Why would a user buy something from you when they don’t know who you are, if they can trust you, or if they’d even like your products? For them to answer those questions, they need to feel a connection with you.
Building their trust takes time, effort, planning, and genuine care. You need to be transparent and authentic in your online presence so they can see who you truly are. The most successful social brands view their followers as friends and part of their tribe.
Of course, building so many deep connections will take time. Once you put in the work, these followers become loyal ambassadors for your brand.
Proving Your Value Takes Time
“Add value” is another buzzword phrase in digital marketing. The idea is that providing value to your potential customers makes them value you. It can help them trust you, see your authority, and genuinely like you.
However, adding value isn’t as simple as creating a free e-book and promoting it on social media.
You have to think outside the box. Here’s an example. If your business sells Christmas trees, posting about the trees you sell isn’t adding value to their lives. However, discussing how they can save money on decorations during the holidays does add value. Showing how they can help less fortunate families get a tree adds value. Showing them new and trendy ways to dress a tree adds value.
This is a lesson in content marketing. Understand what your target customer finds value in and start creating it for them. Over time, and as you provide more and more value, users will care about what services or goods you also provide.
Sticking With It Takes Time
Regardless of the algorithm each platform uses, consistency gets rewarded. When you post quality content every day for years, it shows in your engagement rates and sales.
So, how long do you have to be consistent for?
Social media isn’t a one-and-done marketing tactic. That’s why successful brands hire a social media agency or social media manager to work on their pages full-time. The more content you post, the more chances users have to see it on their newsfeeds. If the content you post each day is high-quality, authentic, and adds value, you’ll gain followers and eventually, increase your sales.
Plus, consistency shows users that you’re reliable and active on the platform. By being consistent (posting, commenting, liking, outreach, etc.), you create more opportunities to build relationships with users.
For as long as you care about growing your business, be consistent on social media.
If you’re ready to step up your brand’s social media game, remember that success takes time. We can help you improve your social media marketing; contact us to learn more.
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