Starting a social media platform is vital if you ever want to be more than a point of light on a map with billions of other points of light in a world where the market has no bounds.
Consider the following: There are approximately 186 social media platforms currently offering a variety of services on the Internet, including social support for weight loss, sharing photographs, instructional videos, and vlogs, dating, business networking, etc.
Of all the various platforms, Facebook reports over 1.11 billion subscribers. Not far behind is YouTube with 1 billion subscribers touting over 4 billion views per day. Twitter reports 500 million total subscribers with 200 million active members. LinkedIn has 225 million subscribers, followed by Instagram with 100 million and finally, Pinterest with theree are 48.7 million active pinners on Pinterest.
The signs are all over the place. Apart from face-to-face contact, social media platforms are the most popular means for individuals to engage with one another. You're probably connected to at least one or more social media networks if you're reading this post. Connecting with friends, family, coworkers, and long-lost relatives is one thing, and it's typically not that difficult technologically. Using the tools provided by social media networks to sell yourself and your business is a different story. Here are the first eight stages to launching a social media platform on Facebook and Twitter.
1. Create a personal Facebook account if you don't already have one. It's simple to accomplish. Simply log in to Facebook and click the link at the bottom of the page." Sign Up" is at the top of the page. Facebook will ask for permission to access your email contact list to assist you in finding friends. This isn't a significant threat to your safety unless you're a privacy freak. Simply put, the software will crawl through your contacts list and identify possible friends based on email addresses. You should begin building your buddy list because it will serve as the foundation for your business or personal platform. All you have to do now is click the "Add Friend" tab once Facebook has discovered people you might know. On your behalf, a request will be issued to the individual.
2. It's relatively simple to set up a personal Facebook account once you've got it up and running. It's quite simple to create a "Fan Page" on Facebook. Instead of making friend requests, you attract visitors to your page based on your content, and if they enjoy what you have to offer, whether it's information or products and services, they can "Like" your page. When it comes to social media marketing, it all starts with your fan page. The more likes you receive, the more individuals you have a chance to reach with whatever message you're attempting to advertise. Getting people to Like your page might be difficult, which is why you need a strategy. Your account should have a nice, solid friend list tied to it. Most likely, you'll need to kick off your campaign by asking your friends and family to not only Like your fan page, but also to tell their friends and family that what you have to give is worthwhileand that they should Like your page as well. Similarly, if you provide an encouraging image or remark, you should encourage people to share it on their page in the hopes of it going viral. To put it another way, you want your message to reach as many people as possible. However, you should keep your your fan page distinct in the end. To put it another way, invite the entire globe to join. Keep your you accept as friends) to people you know and love, and your fan page to people you know and love.
3. Post to your fan page regularlyughtfully. The timing of your postings has some science to it if you want the most people to view them. If you Google "best time to post on Facebook," you'll get a lot of different results. In general, it's preferable to just employ common sense. When do you think individuals are most likely to check their Facebook page? The response is: Before work while drinking coffee and reading the paper; during lunch; late afternoon when things are winding down at the office; after supper; and in the evening hours. Weekends are the most likely times. People are more active on Facebook on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings, in my experience than at any other time throughout the weekend.
4. It's also simple to create a Twitter account. To get started, you'll need to enter your name, email address, and password. When picking a Twitter handle, be cautious. You might use a version of your given name or make it your business name. Because you want to use Twitter for social media marketing and networking, stay away from odd names that can turn people off. The goal is that you want as many people to follow you as possible.
5. Utilization strategies when it comes to social networking, Twitter is a little different from Facebook. The primary distinction is that your messages are restricted to 140 characters, so your message must be brief, succinct, and appealing. You should also ensure that there are enough characters left at the conclusion to promote your product, website, or Facebook page. Your goal, in Twitter, speak, is to persuade your followers to Retweet your message so that their followers will see it and start following you.
6. Searching for similar topics on Twitter is one of the best ways to start attracting followers. The following is a fundamental Twitter rule of thumb: Like-minded folks prefer to hang out with other like-minded people. Simply type in a few search terms. Use the Search box to see what other people are up to. Begin following people who share your interests, and you'll find that many of them will return the favor. Because Twitter is such a fast-paced platform, it's critical to publish regularly to reach as many people as possible. This can take a long time. Third-party software that automatically submits Tweets at pre-scheduled intervals is used by people who are serious about using Twitter as a social marketing tool (See Hootsuite).
7. To get the most bang for your buck, connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts. This is simple to do using the Facebook fan page manager. "Edit Page," "Edit Settings," and "Resources" are the steps to take. You can link your page to Twitter under Resources. NowEverything you write on Facebook will be shared on Twitter, and vice versa.
8. Begin making plans for your website. Facebook and Twitter are excellent places to start, but you'll need a website in the end. You will be able to engage with your target audience more fully if you have a website. It becomes the primary medium for publishing articles, reacting to comments, and promoting debate. A website can also be used as a marketplace for your products. In a subsequent piece, I'll go over how to set up a website in greater depth. For the time being, start thinking about your larger picture and the various ways you may establish a community.
