When you first started your brand, you likely focused on crafting the best product or service possible and creating a memorable name that would attract people to buy it. You also probably thought about what your marketing strategy would be to bring in new customers and keep them coming back for more.

However, you may not have given as much thought to what you should be doing on social media or how to increase your brand’s presence and influence there.

Let’s fix that now with these top 10 tips to improve your brand on social media.

1) Look at your current stats

The first step to improving your brand on social media is understanding where you’re currently at. Take a look at your current stats and analyze what’s working and what’s not. This will give you a good starting point for making changes.

You can use these stats to see which posts are getting the most engagement, who is engaging with you the most, what your key demographics are, and other things like this. With that information in hand, it becomes easier to make decisions about which type of content works best for you and how often you should post.

2) Ask friends and influencers to help you with feedback

Getting feedback from people you trust is a key part of social media success. After all, your friends and followers are the ones who will be seeing and interacting with your content the most. But what if you don't have any friends or followers yet? That's where influencers come in. Asking for feedback from influencers in your industry can help you get started on the right foot.

Start by building relationships by commenting on their posts, liking their photos, and adding them as a connection. Once they know that you're an authentic person who shares their interests (and vice versa), they'll be more likely to offer advice when you ask for it.

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ou might also consider inviting them onto your blog or podcast as guest contributors; not only does this make them feel like an integral part of your brand, but it also gives them a new platform through which they can share their own messages with more followers.

3) Update your cover photo(s)

A great cover photo is one of the first things people will see when they visit your profile, so make sure it’s something that accurately represents your brand. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, use a photo of the exterior. If you’re an online store, use a product photo or something that reflects your brand identity. And if you’re a service-based business, consider using a headshot or team photo.

For example, we used our in-house photographer's picture for our Instagram account (@wearehappy). It helps give the viewer insight into who we are and what we do. It also makes us more personable because they can feel like they know us just by looking at our account.

4) Have a consistent look and feel

Your social media accounts should have a consistent look and feel. This means using the same profile picture, cover photo, and branding colors across all platforms. Consistency will make your brand recognizable and help create a cohesive online presence. You don't want to confuse your followers by posting about different things or with conflicting messaging on each platform.

You don't have to go as far as having a brand style, but you should focus on keeping elements the same across the board such as colours, style of font and any visual features which might be part of your logo and/or design.

5) Keep it simple

When it comes to social media, simplicity is key. You want your brand to be easily recognizable and relatable. Use the same profile photo across all platforms, and make sure your cover photos are cohesive with your overall branding. Keep your bio short and sweet, and don’t forget to include a link to your website!

Make sure you're posting content that your audience will find interesting and relevant. Share posts from other brands or organizations in order to grow connections in your industry, but only if they align with your own mission statement.

Also, remember that hashtags can help you build a following and promote different topics of interest and these can also be included within your profile or bio.

6) Use emojis, gifs, or images in captions

We live in a world where people are constantly inundated with content. In order to stand out, you need to be eye-catching and engaging. And what's more eye-catching and engaging than a well-placed emoji, gif, or image? A study by Adobe shows that emojis get 150% more engagement than texts!

If you aren't 100% sure on what the meanings of some emojis are then you can always check out the website https://emojipedia.org, which features all of the emojis and their general meaning or use.

There is also an app called Emoji Reader (free on both Android and Apple) that allows you to type in words and it will automatically convert them into emojis. It also has an offline mode so you don't have to worry about not being able to send messages when internet access isn't available.

7) Updating old posts can be helpful

Every now and then, it can be helpful to go through your old posts and update them. This can help improve your brand by making sure that your information is current and accurate. Plus, it shows that you're actively engaged with your social media presence.

Here are a few tips:

1. Check for outdated information and update accordingly
2. Make sure all links are working and go to the correct page
3. Add new photos or videos if possible

8) Talk to people, not at them

A lot of brands make the mistake of talking AT their customers instead of talking TO them. This is a surefire way to alienate your audience and turn them off from your brand. Instead, take a step back and have a conversation with them.

Get to know them and what they want. You may be surprised at what you learn. What are some things that resonate with your target market? What do they need? How can you help them? After all, customer service should always be one of your top priorities.

9) Don’t be afraid of scheduling tools

Yes, social media is all about being in the moment and connecting with your audience in real-time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t use scheduling tools to help you stay on top of your game. In fact, using a scheduling tool can actually help you be more present and engaged on social media because it takes away the pressure of having to post in the moment. So go ahead and give yourself a break by scheduling some of your content in advance!

To make sure your posts are at their best, schedule them so they’re posted at optimal times. Studies show that early morning (7am) and late evening (8pm) are the best times for posting to get the most engagement on Facebook pages.

10) Listen to other businesses (there is much you can learn!)

It's always a great idea to keep an eye on what others are doing in your own industry and it's not for the fact that you should copy them exactly, but it can show you what is or isn't working when it comes to your own social media plans.

You can learn a lot from your competition, so don’t be afraid to take a look at what they’re doing right and use that to your own advantage. Using this information to help improve your own social media strategy is a big plus.