There’s no denying that we’re now living in a digital society. The internet has become an important part of nearly everything we do. We use it for work, for entertainment, for leisure, for socialising, and even for comparing home loan rates and insurance premiums.

If you manage a business or company and want to reach more clients and get in front of even more potential customers, it’s essential you’re digitally active too – and one of the most effective ways to make your presence known online is via social media.

Here are just a few short pieces of advice if you’re looking to promote your services on social media.

  1. Don’t always push the hard-sell. If all you post is information about you, you give your audience nothing to engage with. Instead, consider each post as if it was the first conversation you were having with a potential client.
  2. Post new material regularly. It doesn’t have to be twice a day, but only posting one or two things a month isn’t going to be effective. Develop a schedule and hold yourself accountable.
  3. Vary your posts by sharing a mix of photos, links, text and even videos. This make your page more appealing to a wider audience.
  4. Let people get to know you by posting personable material. Most people are more interested in the people behind the business than the business itself, so let people know who you are and about the team you work with.
  5. Keep it professional. Your business profile is not the best place to post photos of the grandkids or complain about your neighbours.
  6. Ask questions. Social media is all about communication, and it needs to be happening in both directions. So ask your followers questions that’ll encourage them to engage with you.
  7. Make sure you respond to questions and enquiries in a timely manner. If someone posts on your page and asks you for more information, your window of opportunity is slim, so get in quick and try help them out. Too many business pages are full of un-answered questions, which doesn’t look professional at all.
  8. It’s ok to use a call to action. While it’s important to avoid using your page just to sell your services, sharing an article to your page with a call to action can be an excellent way to convert a reader into a client.
  9. Be positive. Rather than joining angry mobs, say something positive and uplifting about important issues that your audience might care about. Social-media users are more likely to follow you if you share happier updates – emotions are contagious and people enjoy optimism.
  10. Remember relationships developed online don’t have to stay there. Use social media to meet new people and make contact with potential clients, then try to bring that relationship offline by meeting them in person or giving them a call.

If your business is already active on social media or you’re thinking of getting involved, these 10 tips will certainly help you on your way.