In today’s age, learning how to market yourself on social media is essential. According to Statista, more than 5 billion people, over half of the world’s population, are actively using social media platforms and the average user uses around 6 different platforms for an average of 2 hours and 31 minutes. The number increased by nearly 2 billion in 2020 and is only expected to grow in the future.
As traditional marketing takes a backseat, digital marketing has surged to the forefront, with social media marketing becoming an integral component of any contemporary marketing strategy. The role of adopting social media marketing cannot be overstated and in fierce competition, understanding how to market yourself on social media can be quite challenging.
Building a personal brand on social media does not happen overnight, it is a long-term process. However, with the right strategies in place, you can effectively establish your presence and make meaningful connections with people in your industry. In this blog, we will dig deeper into the question, “How to market yourself on social media?” and explore various tips and strategies that you need to know to successfully build a personal brand on social media.
How to Market Yourself On Social Media: Key Takeaways
Choosing the Right Platform
- Research Different Platforms: Determine which platform/s align with your target audience’s demographics.
- Evaluate Platform Features: Choose platforms based on their features that best support your content and goals.
Identify Audience Interests and Needs
- Conduct Surveys and Polls: Gather direct feedback on what content topics resonate most with your audience.
- Review Engagement Patterns: Observe which types of posts e.g. videos, infographics and articles generate the most interest and interaction.
Align with Audience Preferences
- Evaluate Content Relevance: Ensure your content addresses your audience’s interests and goals.
- Bridge Gaps: Identify and address any gap between your content and what exactly your audience is looking for.
Getting Started With Social Media
Unlike traditional media, social media has made two-way communication easy and it is something that you should leverage. To develop an effective marketing technique, your ultimate objective should be to implement a strategy to consistently convey the right message to build awareness and boost interaction and engagement.
Get All Your Social Media Accounts in Order
On your journey to understanding how to market yourself on social media, you need to get all the basics right. It begins with updating all your social media accounts with the right information. It is important to note that not every social media platform will be effective in helping you create a strong social media presence. With so many channels to choose from, how do you determine which platform is useful?
To effectively market yourself on social media, begin by conducting an audit and then decide which platforms you are going to focus on. Delete all the accounts that serve you no purpose.
Once you finalize the channels, the next step is to check all the information you have updated and ensure that it is complete and accurate.
Identify Your Expertise
Look at the profiles you are following on social media and ask yourself, “Why are you following them?” You will realize that they are providing value to you in a particular field. This is the same case with you, people will only follow you based on how valuable and relevant information you are providing to them. While thinking about how to market yourself on social media, begin by identifying the area in which you are an expert. Avoid deciding in haste, as your entire content strategy will revolve around it, so think carefully.
In the world of digital marketing, consider the websites and experts that you always refer to. For instance, Neil Patel is the go-to person for SEO.
If you have already started working on your social media marketing and publishing content, identify the content that received a positive response from your audience. Can you replicate or repurpose the style that has already performed well?
Keep in mind that the more unique content you post on your expertise, the more people will perceive you as a valuable and credible source of information.
Regularly Post High-Quality Content
Identifying your expertise is just the beginning of your social media marketing journey. Now, it’s time to shine by creating high-quality content that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and interests. To efficiently market yourself on social media, the next step is to know your unique aspect and how you can present it in a way that stands out. Remember that the high quantity of posts published does not guarantee a positive impact on the engagement rate as over-posting can result in information overload and may lead to annoyance. When it comes to publishing your content, you need to consistently engage with your target audience, but there is a fine line between sharing and oversharing, which you must not cross, as people may perceive you as desperate.
While deciding the frequency of your posts, remember that each platform has different dynamics that you need to consider. For instance, posting 3-5 posts a week on Instagram is usually recommended and it is different for other platforms. There is no hard and fast rule, but it’s better to create a content calendar and follow a particular schedule.
The ultimate frequency of your social media posts depends on the industry you belong to, audience size and competition.
To market yourself on social media, aim for a number of posts that you can easily accommodate without putting pressure on either yourself or your audience. Identify the pattern that best works for you.
Maintain Your Voice and Tone
By now, you must have figured out what will be the core of your social media presence, on which you should never compromise. So, it is vital to consistently execute not only your ideas but also the way you convey them, as it will ultimately make you more credible in your industry.
Voice: Finding a suitable tone for your content is a process of trial and error and initially, you may feel frustrated. By focusing on what your audience has to say about your content, you will get an idea of what’s working best and what you need to avoid.
Tone: Your brand has a personality made up of certain characteristics and values and your tone is one of them. Your brand voice is the message you are communicating and tone is how you present it to your audience. If you are wondering about the secret of how to market yourself on social media, then this is something you should not miss.
Each social media platform has a different audience and content type, so you need to act accordingly. Depending on the social media channels you are focusing on, you need to adjust your tone to fit the platform you are publishing your content on.
Just think about posts you come across on LinkedIn and compare them with Instagram. Both platforms cater to different audiences, you will notice many brands who are consistent on both channels.
This is where research plays a critical role. To begin with, there must be few people in your industry to whom you often look up. Research them, evaluate their social media presence across channels and think about how you can implement your learnings with an innovative approach.
In the end, the key to success here is to have an in-depth understanding of your audience and know the dynamics of the platform you are working on.
Be Authentic and Engaging
The secret to marketing yourself on social media lies in consistently creating engaging content without compromising its quality. Observe all the people that you follow on social media. What are the things that appeal to you the most? It will give you many insights on how to market yourself on social media. Some of the characteristics can be their experience, expertise, trustworthiness and, to put it in one word, its authenticity, isn’t it?
Focus on adding value to the lives of your audience and aim at sharing informative content in a simple yet engaging way. Resolve the queries of your audience and provide solutions that they can implement. Build a genuine and trustworthy relationship with your followers and have a fresh approach to your content that will set you apart from others in your industry.
Which Social Media Channel is Most Suitable For You?
The most effective way to market yourself on social media is to select the channels that work best for you. It is crucial to understand that there is no such term as the best social media platform for building a personal brand as it relies on your industry and objectives. There may be some channels that are driving desired results for others but may not give you the results you are looking for. As mentioned, each platform is popular and has its own characteristics and you need to consider them before deciding on the most suitable social media platform for yourself.
Let’s have a closer look at all platforms and know which platform is suitable for personal branding.
It is one of the most popular social media platforms, perfect for sharing images and videos through reels and stories to engage with your audience. As of 2024, Instagram has around 2 billion monthly active users and is very popular among the age group of 18-34, making it more than half of the total user base.
Instagram is ideal for industries like fashion, travel, beauty, events, food, home decor, etc.
X (Twitter)
Another popular social media platform suitable for sharing news, insights and engaging the audience with hashtags and polls.
X is ideal for real-time engagement, technology, entertainment and media industries.
YouTube
It is one of the world’s largest video-sharing platforms with over 2.5 billion monthly active users and is available in over 100 countries and 80 languages to choose from. Some of the high-performing content types are tutorials, unboxing, behind-the-scenes, how-to videos, educational content and interviews.
The platform is ideal for educators, content creators, entertainers and anyone who wants to share video content.
With more than 3 billion monthly active users representing around 37 percent of the world population, it is the world’s most popular social media platform making it a great social media platform to market yourself.
Facebook is ideal for engaging with a broad audience, diverse content types and building community.
With over 1 billion members worldwide, LinkedIn is a platform suitable for professional networking and industry updates. It’s a great platform for publishing long-form content, updates and articles to connect with other professionals in your industry.
LinkedIn is ideal for building professional connections, networking, B2B industries and career development.
TikTok
A must-have platform to engage with Millennials and Gen Z, it is popular for short-form video content with the potential for making trends and going viral.
The platform is suitable for entertainment, creative professionals and those who are looking to reach a younger audience.
How to Market Yourself on Social Media: Top 5 Pro Tips
Consistency is Key: There is no universal formula to effectively market yourself on social media, the only way is to create valuable and engaging content consistently. Use relevant hashtags and maintain active social media accounts, it’s a key to cracking social media algorithms.
Stay Ahead of Trends: In the ever-evolving world of social media, what is working today may not guarantee the results tomorrow. Join communities, get updated with industry insights and keep an eye on trends. It will help you refine your strategy and make it easier to market yourself on social media.
Invest in Visually Appealing Content: Social media is a highly competitive world and you want to grab the attention of your target audience. Even with informative content, if it’s not engaging enough, you will end up losing your potential audience. Video is key, it helps your audience engage better with you, increasing your visibility and credibility in the industry.
Avoid Monotonous Promotion: While it’s important to market yourself on social media, but you should avoid overwhelming your audience with constant self-promotion. Follow the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of your content should focus on providing value to your audience and the remaining 20% can be self-promotional.
Measure and Analyze Results: You may be working very hard to efficiently market yourself on social media, but your efforts must be in the right direction. Tracking the built-in social media analytics will help you understand your audience better, what’s working and which aspects of your social media marketing strategy need your attention.
Final Thoughts!
Navigating the complexities of social media marketing can be both exciting and challenging. The key to successfully marketing yourself on social media lies in understanding your audience, maintaining consistency and adapting to changes. To effectively market yourself on social media, it’s crucial to begin with a clear strategy, choose the right platforms and consistently deliver high-quality, engaging content to your audience.
Remember, the journey to building a personal brand on social media is an ongoing process. Stay authentic and engage genuinely with your audience to build lasting relationships. Keep an eye on trends and continually refine your approach based on analytics and feedback. By focusing on these core elements, you’ll be well on your way to mastering how to market yourself on social media and standing out in a crowded digital space.
