Growing Your Reach in 2022
Let’s face it, the last two years have been exhausting for everyone and it’s been especially difficult for businesses to not only stay afloat but to keep content fresh and exciting. This has made it increasingly difficult to engage with followers as well.
While many may have more time to scroll through social media, the fatigue has definitely settled in and the infinite scrolling has either become less captivating or has stopped completely with many taking social media breaks.
So how can you continue to engage and grow your reach?
Share Other Businesses Resources
This can be a great partnership opportunity that doesn’t cost you a thing and allows you to reach a new audience. Find another business to work with, share a resource of theirs with your email list, have them share a resource of yours with their email list. Done. That’s it!
- Find a business that makes sense alongside yours
(this way your audience really values the information) - Allows you to reach a whole new audience
- Can ultimately grow your email / subscriber list and online following
Referral Programs & Affiliates
This has been a growing trend in recent years. People enjoy seeing familiar faces they can trust using products. People are more likely to trust word of mouth opinions and feedback than advertisements.
Informal
- Have an agreement with another business to send clients to each other
- This again should be with a business that makes sense alongside yours
Formal
Referral Programs:
- This can be a small percentage (such as 10%) when a new client is brought to you and converts into a sale or exchange of services
Affiliate Programs:
- Affiliates are given a trackable link to refer potential new clients and when it converts into sales they receive a percentage back (percentage can range)
Use Your Voice
Even though current circumstances have caused many in-person events to be cancelled or postponed, that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to still be at events and to share your voice and expertise.
- Be a speaker at online events
- Be a guest on podcasts or web series
- Do a takeover on another person / business’ social media
- Have a feature post on someone else's social media
- “Go Live” with someone on Instagram or Facebook
- Host your own workshop or co-host a workshop
No matter what you do, be sure to leave off with a resource of yours and ways to connect with you so that the audience can add to new business growth.
There are many ways to still be seen and share your words of wisdom with a new audience. In many cases, just reaching out can open up new opportunities for you. Many are in the same position, looking for something new to try and will be open to these experiences with you!
Try Something New
Now more than ever there are new social media apps and features popping up constantly and there could be a platform you’re not utilizing that could really help your growth.
- Try a new social media platform
- TikTok has become a very popular option
- Quick, easy, engaging
- Think about options you might not have previous considered
- Pinterest is often looked past but can be a great resource for businesses
- Show who you are and what you represent
- Refresh your presence on platforms you’re already active on
- Consider what you’ve been posting and how it can be more captivating
- Look into what’s currently trending and if you can incorporate that
- Look to similar businesses as yours for inspiration
Lastly, Be Engaging
It’s one thing to be able to reach your audience but you have to be able to maintain them too. If you put the effort into engaging with your audience, you’ll be able to really build a connection and keep them around for the long haul.
- Respond to comments on your posts, this can be written responses or as simple as responding with an emoji or “liking” their comment. Just show that you’ve acknowledged them.
- Respond to inbox messages. Answer the questions and inquiries, respond to comments even if it’s something as short and sweet as “thank you.”
- Share responses. If you’re one to post stories on social media with questions, quizzes, etc. share the results with your audience. It keeps them engaged, especially if they participated.
- Engage with their content. Follow back on social media (do so at your discretion, you don’t want to follow everyone back but can do so as you please). Like their posts, share relevant posts you’ve been tagged in, etc.
While times are tough for businesses right now there are still opportunities and ways to grow. Now more than ever, social media and a good online presence has become a great way to stay connected. Be active, be authentic, and be engaging.
