Using Social Media to Your Advantage

How often do you use social media?

Are you one who uses it daily, creating an online persona to spread your reach? Are you more of a casual user who checks it randomly throughout the week mainly to keep up with friends and family?

Or are you one who has a Facebook page but never updates it and isn’t interested in the other platforms?

Except a guest TikTok account to mindlessly scroll through videos, of course.

I’m guessing if you’re reading this, you’re somewhere between the daily and casual user.

Though many still try to avoid it, social media is the way of our world now. It is how we communicate and share, and that’s only going to expand with future generations. Social media is a useful tool for keeping in contact with friends and family long distance, but it is also a great way to market oneself or a business. If done correctly and consistently, it is relatively easy to reach a wide audience this way.

Take Warby Parker, for instance. In 2010, five classmates started an online company to provide glasses at an affordable price. They wanted to provide a way to buy eyewear without needing an appointment with the optometrist each time, and without needing to stand in the awkward showrooms trying on pair after pair. Through Warby Parker, people can order five pairs to try on that are shipped directly to them at no cost.

This company was started with a small $2500 loan. That’s it, $2500. And now they are a multi-billion-dollar company. This was made possible in part because of social media. They used various platforms to reach customers, and they continue to use social media to openly communicate with people. For example, with the Home Try-On Campaign, customers are encouraged to share photos of them wearing the glasses. By playing off the need many people have to share the details of their lives, Warby Parker has not only been able to reach more customers, but those sharing the photos are more likely to make purchases. Especially if there is a lot of interaction on the posts.

Whether you’re a glasses company or an independent author, social media is an excellent marketing tool. With creative methods like this, one can really encourage people to support whatever they might be selling. Being consistent and staying on brand helps as well.

One of the questions I get most is how I continuously market my writing and books. The key is to stay organized, be flexible when it comes to trying new trends, and think about ways to keep up engagement. With my latest cover reveal, for example, I created an online jigsaw puzzle of the cover. I then shared the link exclusively in my Facebook group before the reveal date as a contest; the person with the fastest time won a free copy of the book.

It’s one thing to continuously promote your work; it’s another to interact with your audience. Ask questions, post games or activities followers can participate in, and be personable. The more the audience feels connected to you or your company, the more invested they’ll become.