Why and how to become an ace communicator on social networks

What business owner or self-employed entrepreneur hasn't heard the phrase "What's your brand's Facebook/LinkedIn/insert another social network page?"?

Today, using social networks or social media as a communication tool seems to have become indispensable for growing your business.

... indispensable, but why exactly? Do they deliver real business benefits, or are they just a fad?

This article, co-written with Anthony Rochand, consultant, trainer andco-founder of LEW, explains why you MUST deploy a communication strategy on social networks. And because we're fun to talk to, we've also included some valuable tips on how to do it.

See all software Social Media Marketing

What exactly is a social network?

Why are social networks called social networks?

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram... we all have our own ideas on the subject, but it's always useful to go back to the basics!

A social network is a website designed to create social links and exchanges between its members.

Individuals come together by affinity (family ties, friendships, professional interests or shared interests) to send each other messages, share photos or content, and so on.

Over the years, social networks have become a new way of socializing, with a proven impact on society, particularly among young people.

Social networks and social media: what's the difference?

The two terms are now used interchangeably.

Originally, social media were defined as platforms for publishing content. A blog, for example, is social media.

However, social networks are increasingly becoming media in their own right, featuring news, videos, articles and more. The dividing line between the two is becoming increasingly blurred.

The 5 advantages of a good digital communications strategy on social media

How are social media transforming corporate communications ?

Here are 5 key benefits.

Advantage no. 1: show your face!

Today, social networks are an integral part of consumers' lives. Accenture, for example, reports that nearly 3.5 billion people surfed them last year, spending an average of two and a half hours a day.

It's hardly surprising, then, that they're one of the best ways to increase your visibility among potential customers! Facebook, Instagram... are all virtual places where you can develop your brand image and present (or even sell) your products and services.

And to top it all off, if you add a good content strategy, you'll not only make yourself known, but you'll also leverage your audience to attract visitors directly to your site.

💡 Good to know: social networks, especially during the Covid pandemic, proved to be an excellent channel for events. Your customers can't make it? Create an online event and get as many people involved as possible!

Benefit no. 2: Get closer to your customers

Thanks to social media, your audience comes into direct contact with you. This creates a more human relationship with them, one that builds trust and a better customer experience.

This can involve customer service, to be responsive and attentive when your customers encounter problems.

But it also means reacting to comments from Internet users, to increase your sympathy capital and convey a good brand image: you make a lasting impression on their minds and set yourself apart from the competition.

💡 Good to know: communicating on social networks also facilitates the work of human resources and recruitment procedures, especially on LinkedIn!

Advantage no. 3: keep your finger on the pulse

Any good communication strategy on social networks involves monitoring :

• what's being said about you,
• how your market is behaving,
• consumer expectations,
• how your competitors are positioning themselves, etc.

Twitter, for example, is often used to communicate in real time with or about brands. This medium is an excellent channel for observing your e-reputation, as well as information relating to your sector.

In short, thanks to social networks, you can learn to position yourself in relation to the challenges and trends of the moment, and help your brand evolve by obtaining feedback (direct or indirect) from consumers.

Benefit no. 4: Get to know your customers

The value of data is well established.

With social media, you can better understand who your customers are and how they evolve, by observing their profile:

• age,
• gender,
• geolocation,
• interests,
• expectations, etc.

So much information to make the most of!

Benefit no. 5: Build your community

Acquiring new customers is great. But retaining the ones you've already won over is even better!

Thanks to social networks, you can create a real community around your brand, a community that you can build loyalty around with impactful content aligned with their values and aspirations. A community that will then talk about you and advertise you. .. for free!

How to develop your business on social networks? Our tips for better communication

Tip 1: Identify your target audience

A good communication strategy on social networks requires a precise understanding of who your target audience is.

To do this, build your marketing personas, defining :

• their socio-demographic profiles,
• their needs and interests,
• but also how they consume social media. After all, that's what we're talking about! For example, observe what kind of content they follow, what they broadcast, how they interact. You can also join groups that attract their interest and see what happens there.

Only in this way will you be able to send your customers the right message (especially in terms of content and tone) at the right time.

Tip 2: Determine your objectives

Implementing the right strategy also means knowing why you're doing it.

Depending on your objectives, not only your actions, but also the social networks you choose, will differ.

For example, is it to

• increase your brand awareness?
• change your brand image?
• Find new prospects?
• generate more sales?

Tip 3: Choose the right social network(s)

Once you know how your customers and prospects use social networks, you can determine the most appropriate one. There's no need to spread yourself too thin, just stay relevant!

More concretely, each social network favors a type of content (image for Instagram, etc.), and therefore addresses specific needs.

Here are a few examples:

• Facebook is perfectly suited if you want to communicate with a large audience, particularly in the context of a BtoC activity. With a billion users, it's become a must-have platform, one where you need to be present in one way or another if your target is up to it. Another plus point is the possibility of targeted advertising.
  
  
• Twitter is more appropriate for content rooted in current events, whether generic or brand-specific (new product launch, event organization, etc.). On this social network, you can interact easily with your audience and target your messages precisely, thanks to its hashtags system.
  
  
• LinkedIn is perfect for BtoB business. You can use it to keep an eye on your business sector and prospect your professional customers.

Tip 4: Plan your strategy

Take the time to plan your communication strategy on social networks, as your success also depends on your regularity. We recommend that you draw up an editorial calendar to structure your actions. However, always prioritize quality over quantity.

You should also set aside time in your schedule for monitoring, because, as we saw earlier, this keeps you in touch with your audience.

Tip 5: Create inspiring and engaging posts

Don't just publish anything on social networks!

Once again, your target audience will determine the content and form of your posts. But if the field of possibilities is vast, always keep in mind that your content must bring value, generate engagement and reactions.

Here are a few best practices:

• share useful content (demonstrate your expertise on a given subject, respond to your personas' issues, etc.),
• offer something new,
• use promotional content sparingly,
• be creative,
• bounce off current events and trends,
• play the emotion card (humor, indignation, etc.).

Tip no. 6: look after your visuals

You know the drill: a picture is worth more than 1,000 words.

Networking is also about visuals. Even if you're not communicating on a dedicated social platform such as Instagram or YouTube, we now know the impact that images and videos have on the Internet user's mind.

Inspiring photos, informative infographics, product presentation videos... integrate these media into your posts and take care to ensure their quality.

Tip 7: Encourage interaction

How can you succeed with your social networking communications strategy? By engaging your community. So publish content that encourages them to react, comment and share. For example, solicit feedback directly via polls.

Interaction also requires you to get involved. In other words, respond to messages and questions, react to comments. In short, bring your posts to life and show that you're listening!

Tip 8: Measure your actions

If you're just starting out on social networks, we prefer to be honest: in the beginning, you'll experiment a lot before identifying the winning formula and becoming an ace at community management.

To make progress, track and measure the impact of each of your actions with the aim of determining :

• what works and why,
• what's not working and why.

In this way, you'll be able to fine-tune your strategy little by little to achieve the goals you've set beforehand.

💡 Good to know: you can get help from experts! Solocal, for example, offers you its free Audit Visibilité Digitale solution to assess your presence on social networks and obtain information on your possible areas for improvement. And if you want to go even further, you can take advantage of Solocal's personalized support to increase your visibility on the Internet, as well as tools designed to simplify and structure the distribution of your content on social networks.

See all software Social Media Marketing

Social media communication at a glance

The role of social media in corporate communications has grown steadily in recent years. And with good reason: they offer a host of advantages for developing your business and sales:

• they increase your visibility and brand awareness;
• they bring you closer to your customers, so you can better understand them and meet their needs;
• they enable you to monitor your sector, market trends and your e-reputation.

But to make the most of them, you need to learn how to communicate effectively on each social network. This involves a series of best practices, including :

• understanding your target and its expectations;
• choosing the right network(s) and understanding its codes and subtleties;
• developing quality content, in both form and content, that will engage your audience;
• interact with your audience.

In this way, you'll see your actions bear fruit... in the form of increased sales!