2013-07-09

As a business your online social presence needs to be cultivated in order to grow your followers and online communities. How you are seen and perceived by social media users plays a large part in determining the online success of your business or brand. Just as a garden needs to be planted, fertilized, watered, and weeded to result in an abundant harvest, your brand needs the same care to result in a strong presence online and among your followers.

Follow these four simple steps to grow your online social presence:

Plant

The seeds you plant online will be your content. It can be text, visual, or a mix of both. As in any garden, you want a good variety, so make sure your content encompasses education, information, entertainment, calls-to-action, rewards, and incentives.

Fertilize

Healthy plants need to be fertilized for optimal growth and protection. Your business needs the same care and attention. Quality content is a start, but you must also monitor the responses to your post. Keep on top of the activity on your sites and online communities. This will ensure guidelines are being followed and that your sites remain friendly, positive places. A strong site and online presence is carefully maintained and protected.

Water

Watering is one of the most vital aspects of keeping a garden alive. As a business, you do this by responding to and interacting with your followers. Having a social presence is just that: being social and being present on your sites. Engage with your followers, respond quickly to their questions, concerns, and comments. Put a spotlight on them, reward them, and thank them for their participation and loyalty. Your presence is only as strong as your followers. They will keep your site alive and growing. Your job is to nurture the relationship.

Weed

Weeds pop up all the time and you will see this on your social media sites in the form of spam, trolling, and personal attacks. Moderation is needed to keep your sites weed-free and safe. That means you have to be present and actively taking care of any issues that arise.

Putting these steps into action will help your online presence grow and keep it strong and vital. You will find that your follower and fan base will expand and along with it, loyalty and social sharing. Growing and maintaining your social presence doesn’t happen without implementing and following a plan.

How do you grow your social presence and what benefits are you reaping?

The post Ways to Grow Your Online Social Presence appeared first on Bad Rhino Rumblings.

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