Social media has become a huge part of marketing strategies nowadays. By building customer relationships using social media, you’re creating a community of loyal customers who can market your brand for you. Here are some helpful tips to get you started on developing a strong brand and increasing engagement with social media marketing.

Be Authentic in Your Social Media Marketing

People want to feel like they’re engaging with a person, not a robot – even online. By making your business more relatable to your followers, they feel more comfortable sharing content and interacting with your brand. Being more “human” also increases your brand’s trustworthiness to followers and doesn’t give off a “we’re only in this for ourselves” vibe, which customers appreciate.

Build a Community

Building a social media community can best be described as a snowball effect. You have to start out with a few loyal followers that share and interact with your brand and, the more they share, the more others will begin to see your content too. Keep this cycle going by posting engaging content that they will find interesting and you’ve got yourself a little snowball at the top of a blizzardy hill.

Understand Your Audience

The key to attracting and retaining followers is posting interesting and engaging content. For example, a commercial real estate broker would tailor their content more toward potential property investors, while a residential real estate developer would post more home buyer focused content. The more relevant content you post, the more your followers will interact with it and share it to their platforms. It’s as simple as that.

Interact with Customers

Now that you’re posting content that your followers want to engage with, maintain the relationship by interacting with them. This can be as simple as liking their comments on posts to let them know you’ve seen them, or commenting on some of their posts that you find relevant and interesting. These simple interactions not only show your appreciation for your followers, but strengthen your relationships with those who engage the most with your brand.

Respond Quickly

The number one complaint customers have with businesses on social media is the response times. If a customer takes the time to voice their opinion or ask a direct question, they expect a timely response. The easiest way to improve your audience’s opinion of your brand is by responding to any and all messages as quickly as possible (typically within 4 hours).

Thank Your Top Followers

Everyone likes to feel appreciated. Whether it’s giving a shout out to your top followers or spotlighting customers using your product, your reciprocation of gratitude won’t go unnoticed. When people are mentioned in a positive post thanking them or recognizing them for something, they are often more inclined to repost or share it, gaining your brand more exposure to their followers.

Embrace Feedback, Good or Bad

Like any good relationship, there will be ups and downs. Your relationship with your customers is no different. You must be willing to receive feedback, whether it be good or bad, and respond to both in a timely and appropriate manner. For example, if a customer gives you a raving review on social media, comment back thanking them and recognizing their satisfaction. More importantly, if a dissatisfied customer leaves a bad review, quickly address it either publicly or in a private message and see what you can do to rectify the situation.

We would love to know which tips you found most helpful in building your customer relationships using social media, and share with us any of your ideas that might increase audience engagement as well!