How To Keep Your Business Relevant Online
How do you remain relevant in the online space? All the competition. The constant changes. The plethora of information, and courses, and webinars. How sway??
Well, you'd be surprised to hear the answer is fairly inexpensive and just takes a little more brainstorming and effort on your end. Change is good! So keep reading and find out more!
UP YOUR APPEAL
A question you should always be asking yourself is, "How does my brand stand out?"
We've seen the battle between Snapchat and Instagram lately, and although it's just a matter of what filter WE like more, behind the scenes there is a war going on. And Instagram is winning. How did Snapchat go from massive growth in early 2016, to a 20% drop today? Instagram upped their appeal. Some might say that it was "unfair" for Instagram to duplicate Snapchat's stories, but they saw a feature that their users wanted and implemented!
This would have been Snapchat's PERFECT time to do the same, but instead they only added new filters, and an infinity feature.. not enough to keep users going back and forth between the two apps. And because Instagram is a more established platform, it was the obvious choice, especially for businesses. Moral of the story? Don't be Snapchat.
Upping you appeal doesn't have to be fancy. It can be as simple as;
- Re-branding your logo or website.
- Changing the theme on your feeds.
- Re-introducing yourself to your audience.
- Creating a new product!
The point is; never get to comfortable, and know what your audience wants so that your brand remains relevant and continues to grow!
BE RELATABLE
Many entrepreneurs struggle with how they want to come across on social media. We believe transparency is the best policy.
It's not just about cliche' content and stock photos, it's about being relatable.
Humans connect with emotion, and THEN logic. What do people feel when they see your brand? Excited? Inspired? Motivated? Peaceful? Romantic? You get to decide based on what comes most naturally to you!
In the beginning, we struggled with what to post everyday because we weren't being our true selves. It's tough being fake right? Social Media is SOCIAL, and the key is to build meaningful relationships with your target market! (Need help defining your target market? Read here.)
Ways to be relatable:
- Stand out by being 100% yourself on your social media platforms no matter the industry you're in. (No, you don't have to be a super polished coach with head shots in front of the Eiffel tower)
- Be transparent with your shortcomings and struggles; chances are others are going through the same thing. THIS builds trust and authenticity.
- Master the art of storytelling. Instead of saying, "Hey buy my product or service, it's on sale! Its amazing! Its pretty!" Say "I struggled with planning out my days. I was all over the place and made little progress in my business, so I created this planner and I was able to complete three times the amount of work." See the difference?
Again, Social Media is SOCIAL. Build relationships. Engage. Being authentic and relatable will attract your ideal audience, and make your "work" easier!
ADAPT
Adapt, adapt, adapt. The online world changes by the second. Algorithms are a perfect example; and you can either adapt to the changes or you can curl up in a ball and bawl (we've been there). Everyone is still up in arms about the "shadowband" that Instagram has put on certain accounts. At first, we were distraught seeing a few of our clients engagements decreasing on their pictures, but then we ADAPTED and sought new ways to increase engagement. We were able to build real meaningful ORGANIC clients for our clients!
What are some tips you have for remaining relevant? What does your brand struggle with online? We want to hear from you!! Be sure to comment below!
If you are in need of Social Media Management, Branding, or Consulating, we'd love to chat! Contact us, here!