Leveraging Social Media in 2024
Disclaimer: While this guide focuses on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, the core principles can be adapted to other social media channels as well.
Skateboarding is all about pushing boundaries, and your brand should too. This guide will equip you with the tricks to leverage social media and increase sales conversions. Learn how to craft a captivating brand story, create engaging content, and integrate calls to action that get them rolling to your website.
Social media transforms how you connect with your clients and potential customers of your product or service. These platforms allow you to build a thriving community through real-time interaction and engaging content, which fosters loyalty and trust, giving you an edge. Plus, ever-evolving platforms with AI features allows you to personalize the experience and deepen connections further.
Embrace, don’t replace. Social media complements existing marketing, creating an omnipresent brand. It’s like a skater’s bag of tricks: new tricks (social media) build on old ones (traditional marketing) for a well-rounded approach. As your company grows, keep all the tricks in your repertoire to tackle bigger challenges.
Your Brand Story
Every skate company has a story of passion and dedication, maybe starting out as a small crew or even a single person with a dream (think Nicky Diamond starting Diamond Supply Co. in his bedroom).
Tips on How to Tell Your Brand Story on Social Media
Feeling intimidated? Don’t be! Start small and keep it authentic to your brand. Here are some ideas:
- Post a Photo: Share a picture of your first logo with a caption explaining your design choices. What inspired you? What message were you trying to convey?
- Post a short video shot on your phone of your first product prototype in action. Let your audience see your journey and the evolution of your product.
- Go Live and Connect: Tell the story behind your company’s name in a casual, conversational way. This is also a great opportunity to showcase a skate session with your crew or even offer a lesson!
- Show Your Progression: Upload past videos from your brand’s early days alongside newer content. This showcases your growth, dedication, and the evolution of your brand.
- Helpful Tip: Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back: Don’t let fear stop you from taking action: Be bold and do not worry about what other people think of you. As long as you’re true to yourself and have good intentions, you will be perceived in a positive way. Remember, social media is all about sharing your passion and connecting with others.
Be the Face of Your Brand:
People connect with people. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there:
- Show Your Face: Include yourself in your ads. Let your passion for skateboarding shine through.
- Where It All Began: Share where you come from and what sparked your love for skateboarding.
- The Skater-Owned Brand Connection: Think about a skater-owned brand you love. Why do you love that brand? Chances are, the skater’s story is a big part of the reason.
- Skateboarder Paul Rodriguez’s story exemplifies this perfectly. From early video parts like “City Stars” and “In Bloom” to street league wins, starring in films, and launching successful ventures, Rodriguez’s journey may inspire fans to support his brand, Primitive. Just like his story, yours can have a similar impact. By sharing your brand’s journey, you can influence customers to choose you.
Sharing your brand story consistently is a powerful strategy for social media success. It not only builds a strong connection with your audience, but it also adds to your growth on these platforms. The key lies in frequent, engaging posts. The algorithms that control social media feeds favor content that sparks reactions and keeps users coming back for more. Engaging with other brands that share a similar story or mission is another effective tactic. By commenting and interacting with these brands, you foster a sense of community and expand your reach to new audiences. Ultimately, when your audience understands your core values and passion through your consistent storytelling, they’ll forge a stronger connection with your brand, leading to increased loyalty and engagement.
Content, Algorithms, CTA’s – The Do’s & Don’ts
The more you post engaging content, the more social media algorithms reward you by showing your content to a wider audience. This increased exposure is key to building brand awareness and attracting new customers.
However, just putting out content isn’t enough. Consistency is key. Once you’re comfortable creating content, develop a regular posting schedule. Pick 2-3 days a week and stick to a specific time for posting. Scheduling tools like Buffer can help you ensure consistent publishing, even if you don’t have time to post live every day.
Finding the right balance between quality and quantity is important. Ideally, your social media presence would be a perfect blend of high-quality production value and a constant stream of engaging content. But for most startups and even established businesses, this can be unrealistic.
Focus on creating content that educates and engages your audience. Tutorials, trick tips, or anything that helps people improve in a relevant area are all great examples.
Once you’ve grabbed their attention with valuable content, you’ll want to include a Call to Action (CTA) to encourage viewers to take the next step, like visiting your website. However, social media algorithms tend to penalize posts that direct users away from the platform. So, forget about relying solely on captions that say “Link in Bio.”
The key to a successful CTA is to integrate it naturally within your content. This could mean listing it within a photo caption or mentioning it verbally within a video. The more subtly you can encourage viewers to visit your site without relying on the description box, the better the chances they’ll actually continue seeing your future posts. Paid advertising is the only exception to this platform-centric approach. Paid ads allow you to explicitly direct users to your website without penalty from the algorithm. Also, as a helpful tip: if you use Facebook ads, you can pay less for ads if you direct users to message you instead of taking them off the platform to visit your website.
Finally, don’t get hung up on perfection. Social media content doesn’t need to be a big production. While eye-catching intros like “Fully Flared” (which was incredible, by the way) can grab attention, consistency is key in the long run. Get your content out there regularly, build connections with your audience, and ultimately convert those connections into sales as viewers learn more about your brand and what you offer.
So you’ve learned how to leverage social media to tell your brand story, consistently create engaging content, and integrate CTAs to drive sales. Remember, social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, stay authentic, and keep genuine content flowing! With dedication and a strategic approach with tips I provided, you’ll transform your online presence into a powerful tool for connecting with customers and propelling your skate business.