Digital creators often put hundreds of hours of work into creating their content and developing their products, yet what is often omitted from the process is how they will connect their business with customers. While traditionally, the ads model could be successfully leveraged to push a new business venture or product into the limelight, in recent times this has shifted to the point where it is no longer proving effective due to rising ad costs and privacy updates, preventing accurate targeting.
Nowadays, social media is increasingly being leveraged to promote businesses, build followers, and to get all-important sales. According to research, 50% of young Americans say they use social media to find out about new businesses. Therefore, having a strong media presence is critical to building a successful, profitable business.
Knowing which platform is right for you
Vanessa Lau, founder and CEO of Vanessa Lau International Inc., is a social media expert offering coaching programs to creators and info-based businesses to expand their reach and get more customers using social media. She tells us that the first step can often be the most difficult and social media is no different. If you are new to content creating, you may feel a little overwhelmed with all the options and knowing where to start. Each platform has its own nuances and it can seem like an endless learning curve just to get yourself set up.
Getting to know which platform meets your business needs is key and it is important to spend time getting to know the different platforms and their capabilities before making a decision. It also depends on who your ideal customer is. If you are looking for a more corporate customer then you may use LinkedIn as your go-to platform; however, if you are looking at tapping into a younger generation then you would look more towards Instagram.
You also need to look at what content you are planning on sharing. For instance, if you are planning long in-depth tutorials then TikTok’s three-minute videos are not going to cut it and YouTube would prove to be a better fit.
Focusing on building organic traffic
It can seem like a long way around but building up organic traffic produces far better long-term results than just putting money into ads, which do not build on top of each other. Not only does it bring in a relevant and targeted audience but it also drives sustainable traffic.
Lau says, “I’ve been creating videos on YouTube for 4 years. The more content I create, the more it feeds into each other and it all grows in reach collectively. If I wanted to stop creating content for a whole year, I would still get traffic from my videos. Whereas if I stopped running ads, my traffic would immediately stop.
Leveraging social media to its fullest potential
One of the fatal mistakes business owners make is not factoring content into their strategy. Yet consumers are increasingly turning to social media to connect with businesses. For this reason, it is essential to use social media to its fullest potential to promote your content and build a following.
If you take the Kardashians, for example, they know how to work social media and to leverage it to sell products to their millions of receptive followers. They know whatever product they launch next they already have people there waiting to buy their products, cutting down the work substantially at trying to find people to buy the product. The sale is already in the bag.
Lau says, “I am noticing a huge trend of high-powered business founders all of a sudden doubling down on increasing their personal brand presence online. Why? Because it is so much easier to sell whatever you want when you have a strong personal brand and a large audience.”
Using a rinse-and-repeat model for creating income
Knowing where you are positioned in the market is essential because if you are not 100% clear on it your followers will not be either. It is important to have clear messaging across all the different avenues, which will not only help build your brand but will get that messaging across about what your company is about and what you are trying to sell.
Once this has been put in place, it is important to get systems in place otherwise you risk re-inventing the wheel every day. While it can seem time-consuming at the start, it will save you a lot of time and energy in the long run. One of the key areas to put systems in place is your sales and marketing processes and systems, which can help you get those much needed conversions from followers to paying clients.
Final thoughts
If you are looking to start an online business, having a social media presence is essential. Yet, it can be difficult to know which platform is right for your business. Building up a following and getting your brand known can take time but it pays to invest your time in creating quality, consistent content that can be built on over time. Lau’s expertise teaches us that it is possible to start a new business and scale it towards long-term success with the right information and guidance.
