In today’s digital world, it’s more important than ever for individuals and business owners to have a strong social media presence. Whether you’re a small business owner, aspiring influencer, digital creator, or simply someone looking to connect with a wider audience, building your social media presence from scratch will give you the brand awareness you’ve been so desperately seeking (and probably attempting in all the wrong places).

The power of social media is real, and I’m here to help you harness it. I have personally signed each and every one of my social media clients through Instagram or TikTok, and a majority of my clients get 80% of their clients through social media platforms as well, including wedding photographers, coaches, web designers, injectors, and estheticians.

In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through the process of establishing a solid social media presence that will stand out, convert, and set you up for success long-term. Let’s get into it. 😎

Step 1: Define Your Goals and Target Audience

Before you start posting content on social media, it’s essential to define your goals for why you’re even on these platforms. What are you looking to achieve with a strong social media presence? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, engage with a specific community?

Once these goals are defined, you’re going to identify your target audience. Understanding who you want to reach is arguably the most important element in your content strategy because without this vital piece of information, how do you know who you’re creating content for? Nailing down your target audience will help navigate your entire content strategy moving forward.

Step 2: Choose the Right Platforms

From TikTok to Instagram to Linkedin, there are a number of platforms to choose from when deciding which one you’re going to show up on. Not all social media platforms are the same, so it’s important to go with the ones that align with your goals and audience. For example, Instagram is great for connection, while LinkedIn helps build authority. Research each platform’s demographics, psychographics, features, and engagement levels to make the best decision and decide which platforms your target audience is on.

Step 3: Create a Content Strategy

This is the first thing I do with my Social Media Management clients. Our first week together is focused on building a strong social media strategy so that we have one in place to create content. You can’t create content without one and if you do, you’re just posting randomly and seeing what sticks, which isn’t an effective strategy.

Creating and sharing valuable content is the heart of social media success. It’s also important to note that value looks different for every niche and target audience. You’ll want to plan on a content calendar that includes various content formats like carousels, single posts, stories, and Reels. Brainstorm content pillars so that your content stays relevant to your strategy and you’re mixing up content topics. Ensure your content is speaking to your target audience and provides value, educates, entertains, or solves problems (this is going to look different for everyone). It’s important you really get inside their head here.

Side note: Your content pillars should NOT be “Educate, Entertain, Inspire”. Those are just ways you can provide value to your audience. Your content pillars are super specific to your niche, what you do, and what you want to be known for. Keep that in mind when building your strategy.

Step 4: Stay On-Brand

After creating your social media profiles, you want to be cohesive with your brand across all platforms and reflect a consistent brand image. So you’ll want to choose the same profile picture, cover photo, and bio that conveys your identity and message clearly (use keywords in your name and bio to make yourself as discoverable as possible). Use the same color scheme, tone, text fonts, and style across all platforms to establish recognition. You want people to be able to recognize your content from looking at it for only a few seconds. The more you show up, the more people will start to recognize you, trust you, and like you, which inevitably leads to conversions.

Step 5: Engage, Engage, Engage!

Social media is not a one-way street. Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions immediately. Initiate conversations, ask questions, and support their content to foster a sense of community. This is an element that is often overlooked but is so incredibly powerful! At the end of the day, community building is what social media is all about. So don’t neglect your audience. They’re the ones you’re seeking attention from, aren’t they?!

Step 6: Consistency is Key

Consistency is the name of the game when building a strong social media presence. Post regularly, but on a schedule that is sustainable for you. The more you post, the more likely you are to be seen in front of your target audience, but don’t just post to post. Make sure what you’re putting out is still quality content. This is when I like to say quality and quantity go hand in hand. The results will be much more impactful if you push a bigger quantity of quality content out.

Instagram actually has its own auto-posting feature that I would recommend using if you can’t manually post. This will help you maintain a consistent posting schedule.

Step 7: Analyze and Adjust

Don’t neglect your analytics! A lot of the time, I’ll hop on a Social Media Consultation call and ask if the client has ever analyzed their analytics. 100% of the time they say no. It’s time to change that, guys! This one small peek into your insights can lay out SO much information on how to move forward with content. For example, you’re able to see which posts received the most engagement, the best time for posting, which stories had the most views, and which Reels got the most saves. They’re honestly fun to look at and quite interesting to learn your audience’s behavior towards your content.

Be sure to regularly monitor your social media analytics to understand what’s working and what needs improvement. Use insights to refine your content strategy, posting times, and engagement techniques.

Step 8: Collaborate

Collaboration has become a huge focus on social media platforms because it’s one of the best ways to show up in front of a new, large audience. Collaborate with influencers, other businesses, or individuals in your niche. Get creative and make a fun Reel together, go Live, collaborate on a post, or host some sort of event together! This is not only putting you in front of many new eyes, but it’s also building your authority, credibility, and trust within your industry.

Step 9: Stay Up to Date

Social media platforms are continually evolving. As it is important to stay updated with algorithm changes, new features, and emerging trends, what’s most important is staying up to date on consumer behavior. What kind of content are people gravitating more towards nowadays? I think we can all agree that the way we consume content is a lot different than it was in 2020. Adapt your strategy accordingly to stay relevant.

In regards to staying up to date with algorithm changes, for Instagram, I would follow Adam Mosseri. He’s the head of Instagram and always keeps us up to date on any major updates.

Step 10: Patience, Persistence, and Authenticity Will Win

Social Media is a long game, my friend. We’re focused on sustainable, effective, long-term growth while simultaneously building your brand up. Building a social media presence takes time, so don’t get discouraged by slow growth or occasional setbacks. It WILL happen for many different reasons. In the beginning, it’s important to note that you may be doing some trial and error with your content strategy. So be patient, stay persistent, and keep learning from your experiences.

And through all the patience and persistence, stay true to YOU, stay true to your brand, and be authentic. Authenticity and genuine connections are the foundation of a successful social media presence. People can see right through the bullshit. It gets more and more clear every day.

Authenticity is a hot word in the online space, so maybe I’ll do a separate blog post on what this looks like and why it’s such a big part of showing up nowadays.

By following these steps and staying true to your brand, you’ll be well on your way to building a thriving online presence from scratch. Embrace the journey, and watch your social media presence grow and flourish. It’s time to boldly step into your new online era, fam.