Since social networks imply communication between people listed as friends of each other, the process of promoting a business here is almost impossible to automate. Promotion in social networks does not have to be done by an experienced PR person or SMM specialist. An Instagram page or a VKontakte group can even be maintained by the leader himself or his assistant. To begin with, it is enough that a person knows how to communicate, write messages, has a high literacy of writing, understands the product or service provided and is ready to learn.
Basic steps to start social media promotion
First stage. Study the most visited groups of competitors, memorize their communication style, page management style, content delivery and those posts that get the most response. Choose a social network that is comfortable for you: VKontakte, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, Odnoklassniki or others. The audience of each of them is somewhat different, and this will have to be taken into account, especially if your social network group becomes the only way to promote you and your business on the Internet.
The most widespread among young people is the Russian social network VKontakte. On this site, it is possible to create both a branded group and a company page. And publish in the feed a large amount of content of various formats: from short posts and photos to videos and advertising banners.
Odnoklassniki is the most traditional and popularly loved social network in Russia. The OK audience is very suitable for women’s business. The users registered here are very loyal to every interesting post. And even if it is semi-advertising in nature, but contains useful and easily applicable advice - your group can get a regular subscriber, and you can get a client.
Facebook - interest in it is great for the most part among the established adult audience (managers and directors, mostly male), as well as among young people living in other countries.
Instagram is associated exclusively with photography. However, this social network also allows you to share colorful banners, bright collages, short videos and funny pictures (including comics, cartoons, infographics, etc.) with subscribers.
Stage two. Registration. Create a page or community on the selected social network. Most social networks provide an opportunity to use branded elements in the design. It is important to think over the design and presentation at the stage of creation.
Stage three. Filling. You should regularly update the information on your social network page to maintain high interest.
To maintain activity on a business page on a social network, you should:
- daily (every 3-4 hours update news about the company or new products, useful topics);
- fill in photo and video sections (and constantly update them);
- create new discussions and support old ones;
- organize contests and award prizes;
- answer questions, moderate and remove spam from discussion threads on social networks.
I would like to pay special attention to the last point. The duties of the employee who monitors your business account on the social network should also include moderation and tracking of questions, preparation of public detailed answers to them, as well as combating spam.
How to promote pages on social networks and gain subscribers
Promotion of pages on social networks, if these are legal methods, can be boiled down to two main ways: official advertising of this social network and attracting readers. A natural increase in subscribers and readers of the group can be observed due to the fact that people who were previously unfamiliar with your brand are showing interest in unique products or your services, your group content. Users are happy to exchange information on your page, join communities, put "likes" (like).
You can simply start running your VKontakte group, Odnoklassniki or your Instagram page as an entertainment community (and this will be more useful at the zero stage for attracting subscribers for free than posting advertising messages in batches in an almost empty group).
Just write thematic tips, add interesting stories, bright pictures, useful links and colorful videos. And after some time, gradually post advertising messages on products or promotions. By alternating the first with the second, you will keep your followers interested and set the right mood in your group.
A group or page of a brand / company on a social network with several thousand subscribers is already a status project. It is an advertising tool and even a sales platform. Remember, your publications are instantly available anywhere in the world. Therefore, every word on your page on the social network must be balanced and verified.
