By Stephan Hovnanian
You’ve spent time and money growing your company’s presence on social networks, fighting algorithms and updates to find new customers and build new relationships.
But have you ever considered tapping into your existing audience — on social networks, your customers, or even your email list — as a source for new followers?
Think about it: The chief benefit of bringing an existing audience to a new social network is highlighted by a familiarity with your brand, which means a stronger connection with your business and opportunities to get them talking about you. This organic word of mouth activity translates into more visibility on most social networks, because these days they are all focusing on pushing the most relevant content into the feeds of their users. Of course, there’s also the benefit of exposure that brings actual customers through the door. Word of mouth has always been great for that, and we now see it playing out online through social channels.
Okay, so let’s assume you’re with me so far, and want to build stronger connections with your audience by connecting with them on more than one social channel. What’s the next step? Simple: you need to invite your followers on one network to join you on an additional one. The reasons need to be compelling, though, and you can usually hit the mark by creating a strategy that uses each social network in a unique way. What are some of these unique ways? Let’s explore six of them:
1. Promote unique platform features
Google+ has a neat feature called AutoAwesome that takes a series of similar photos and turns them into an animation. Sadly, if you downloaded an AutoAwesome photo (or any animated GIF image) and tried to upload it to Facebook, you’ll lose the animation.
So, post the static image to Facebook, and add a link in the caption to the Google+ animated version. If your followers on Facebook click over, they may see how neat it is and start following you on Google+.
2. Embedded content
Most social networks offer the ability to embed a post into your blog, which extend the social post’s shelf life as people come across it when reading your blog, and can interact with it directly if they are already logged into that social network (and most people stay logged in as they browse the web).
3. Top Engager shout-outs
If you have people saying great things about you and your content, give them a shout-out, especially to your email list. In the next email newsletter, say “thank you” to some of your favorite people on a particular network. This may encourage your subscribers to follow you on that network in the hopes they will make the list too someday.
4. Follow widgets
Add follow widgets to your website so visitors can see the type of content you post on the various social networks, and follow you right from the site. I would also encourage a single “social” page on your website that describes your content strategy for each network on which you have a presence.
5. Round-ups
If you are active on a particular network, round-ups of your best posts are a way to cross-promote a single URL (the round-up) to other networks. Once people see the type of presence you have on that network, they may decide to follow you there are as well.
6. Exclusive content
You may find yourself focusing on one or two social networks, or using one network for private groups such as support or beta testers. Instead of simply saying on Twitter to “follow us on Facebook” (why? I’m following you on Twitter and perfectly happy with that), adding the reason why will bring over people interested in that type of content.
Have you tried any of these yet for your own company? The most important thing to remember with any plan that includes cross-promoting social networks is to give people a reason to follow you on each network. Make yourself follow-worthy in a way they can’t get on the network they follow you on now. Then, be sure to deepen the relationship with the audience who you find follows you on more than one network, since these are true fans of your brand.
Stephan Hovnanian is the owner of Shovi Websites, a web strategy company located outside Boston. Stephan has spent his career helping companies overcome the challenges of maintaining their online presence effectively by developing and executing strategies unique to them.
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