How Can Startups Leverage the Power of Social Media?
Interning for Fyrii has exposed me to the struggles of brand awareness, and relying on social media as the backbone of advertising. I mean, why wouldn’t you? It’s free, easy, and it makes it possible to reach millions of consumers with just one click of a button.
When we think of social media, we normally think of funny text posts, boomerangs, and beach photos. In reality, social media marketing is just as important for startups, but it requires a different approach.
Developing an effective strategy is the first step towards leveraging social media. It is important to align your approach with the company culture. You also should identify several key words/phrases that will begin to become your company’s staple message. Fyrii tends to leverage passion technologists and the passion economy heavily in most social media posts. Consumers love consistency, so it is important to stay true to your startup. It may also be helpful to establish clear brand guidelines in terms of the logo, fonts, colors, etc. Make sure to state how they can be used and also how they shouldn’t be used, so you can easily share this document with new members, and maintain consistency.
Next, choose the right platforms.
Currently, Fyrii utilizes Linkedin as it’s primary advertising channel. Linkedin is a great place to start, as it is where people go when looking for business related content and opportunities. It provides an area where things remain formal, minimizing competition with growing trends on other platforms. It also allows visitors to view your page and understand what your expertise entails. The content posted should display the company as an industry thought leader. Fyrii is informative for their audience and discusses different topics ranging from the increasing freelance network to the importance of a shift in cybersecurity measures. It is crucial to position your company in this way, and rely on discussing the best strategies, new trends, technologies, etc. Additionally, use hashtags for keywords and phrases for the content discussed, to tap into a wider audience.
Working with this startup has also exposed me to the platform, Medium. It is a social blogging platform to display thoughtful and new discussions. I engaged in creating two blog series for Fyrii, the first centering around starting the discussion for this brand new startup, and the second towards building hype for a new webinar series. I’ve found blogs to be an incredibly useful way to share expertise and give the audience something new, while also promoting your own business. It helps increase your own exposure and generate interest in an otherwise untapped audience.
You can also use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, etc. It all depends on what your business hopes to achieve, and which platforms will bring you towards that goal.
The key to unlocking the power of social media is simply to try new things! Experimentation will help you define exactly what works, and will bring you just one step closer to expanding your brand. Good luck out there!