Social media platforms are used primarily for engaging conversations, learning about what your audience, and reaching an extended network of potential allies and customers. Whether you’re using, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to connect with your audiences and customers, it’s essential to build a strong and lasting relationship with them. The better the relationships you build, the more they’ll support your business and the more your business can grow! Remember, consumers spend up to 40% more with companies who engage and respond to their customers’ reviews online.So how do you maximize your social media presence to enhance your brand awareness and get people talking about your business? Here are a few tips that have been proven to work:1. Be authenticWhen trying to entice new and existing customers to engage with your content on social media, being as relatable and genuine as possible will get you far better results than you think. People look for companies who best represent them and their needs, and although you may have to tailor some of your content to get their attention, your authenticity and personality should always shine through to get them curious about your services/products and contact your business. However, a general rule is topost valuable and informative content with only a third of your posts being promotional.2.Never censor followersUnless people are posting spam or inappropriate/offensive comments on your page; generally, you shouldn’t delete negative comments or reviews if they are related to your business. You should take this as an opportunity to listen to what your customers have to say and address their concerns in public. Managing your reviews can sometimes be difficult on multiple platforms, but one can always synchronize all their brand’s accounts under one user-friendly platform, such as NetSync Complete. Being hands on regarding customer reviews also shows how much you care about your customers to prospective customers who are reading reviews prior to making a purchase.Learn more about handling negative comments by reading this article:How to Handle Negative Facebook Comments Without Damaging Your Brand3. Respond to questionsNot responding to your customers is essentially ignoring them, and nobody likes to be ignored. Take the time to address their questions and flesh out detailed answers that show them you care and want them to make the best possible decision based on this new information. Whether they want to find out about your business’ opening hours or if they want to find out more about your products and services, you should welcome their questions and encourage further dialogue down the line Your answers could also help inform other people. If it’s a personal question, be courteous and send them a message privately.4. Attract your key audienceGetting your audience’s attention is a must for any SMB!Tailoring content to attract a certain type of audience is always a fun initiative for companies and can help a business get a foothold. When done in moderation, it can allow you to connect with certain cultural or social events with the use of thematic content or hashtags (#Pride, #Chinesenewyear, etc). Learn more about your target audience here.5. Generate conversationEngage with your audience on a personal level. Share their stories, ask them for feedback, and have conversations with them. When it comes to social media you don’t have to be too formal, but it’s also important to maintain a certain level of professionalism.Retweeting, sharing and even doing the casual shout out for customers or social media influencers can get you much-needed exposure and positive attention from other users online. It is key to try and maintain your reputation but also show the human aspect of your brand. Showing people you care to have a conversation with them immediately breaks down a barrier and creates a sense of trust. This kind of relationship can foster positive reviews from current customers while encouraging business with potential customers. Win-Win!6. Show your followers some loveLet your social media followers know that you appreciate them. Thank them for your support and celebrate your milestones. For instance, make an announcement when you’ve reached 100 fans. Create contests that pertain to their follows engagement with your content or even as simple as a holiday raffle. In the end, it’s all about fostering a healthy environment for your business to grow, and happy customers are the secret ingredient to any prosperous business’ growth.Want to learn how to talk to customers on social media?A healthy presence on social media platforms, with a strong focus on customer service, is a recipe for success. Remember that managing your social reputation and content (via posts, Facebook Lives, etc.) can boost your SEO. Being able to schedule your posts and handle reviews should be your two biggest priorities when you are looking to build your follower base. I order to synthesize all of these tasks under one platform, consider Yellow Pages’ NetSync solution, which can allow you to post online and answer reviews across a multitude on online sites like Yelp, Facebook and Google in order to show you care. This will help you centralize your tone of voice across all platforms, while simplifying the management of your business’ online reputation!