The use of social media has become a big part of our lives, be it in our daily routines or, or businesswise- where it acts as a solution to our business marketing strategy with low cost, an instrument in bridging the gap between business and consumers, creating channels of better communication and helping companies build lasting relationships with their audience. Whether you are using influencers, referrals, or simply putting out good content yourself, social media has proven to be a key factor in improving brand awareness and recuperate a brand professionally. However, for one to be able to fully utilise this tool, they need to have a few factors into consideration; John Mumba, a professional graphic designer and content producer says your social media presence shouldn’t look like everyone else’s. Creativity should be at the forefront. “Followers want to see more than promotions and links. They are more attracted by personal, human centric content, that’s why story-driven posts and picture typically perform so well,” he says. He adds that you need to give your followers a reason to continue scrolling through your page or visit your website. Make your posts pop and involve what’s beyond the link without revealing everything to incite curiosity for your social media followers. Mumba gives an example of how Instagram users expect lots of hashtags, as trending hashtags can draw attention to your post if the tags are relevant. Whereas, on some platforms such as Facebook and twitter, too many hashtags make a post seem untidy. He says it is so important to know when to use the hashtags properly. Alex Dusabe, a TV and radio content creator, one should be informed before they begin to utilise their social media account in order to maximise all its impact. “They should first rethink their kind of brand if it matches and is in line with what they want to invest in,” he suggests, adding that, being informed helps brand owners to identify brand strategy before designing- which includes critical things like your mission and purpose, audience, values and competitor advantage, creating a strong foundation for your brand. Immaculate Ngabire, a student in mass communication says nobody can be aware of your brand if you don’t show up or post consistently, and by this one should also consider the legal and ethical requirements when posting on social media. “Always use proper language while advertising your brand on social media. Avoid conflict with others, information related to certain race or religion and evade uploading violent images,” Ngabire said. Nadia Uwimana, a journalist, says to embark on posting new things, use attractive words that will draw attention to your audience. Learning from experience also will help cite out what went wrong and how/what measures you will use to work on it. She says one may also learn from other brands that are doing well. Vincent Akimana, a businessman says to update your LinkedIn profile and create as many links as possible and try going with the trends on social media. “You may also think of using social media influencers since they often have a huge following, they may serve to increase your brand awareness on social media.”
