There is no avoiding that social media has become a huge force in marketing. It can be overwhelming, however, when you jump in and try to get the word out. How do you build interest in your brand when the competition for that slice of someone’s time is so fierce? Here are some straightforward and actionable tips that will help get your social media marketing profiles rising above the crowd.

1. Less Promotion

This may seem counterintuitive. After all, isn’t the whole point to promote your business? It absolutely is, but people don’t go on social media to look at a bunch of advertisements, and if that’s all you’re offering, viewers will quickly look elsewhere.

Instead, it’s important to offer value in the form of information, education and entertainment. Look for ways to pull people in with a useful tidbit about a related topic or an entertaining anecdote. Teach something interesting about your business. A person is more likely to click through when you’ve given them something other than ad copy.

2. Variety in Content

All the popular social media sites support multiple forms of posts, and it’s important to take full advantage of that. Text-only posts on Twitter and Facebook can quickly get old to followers. Be sure to add in photos, videos and more. Infographics can be very useful in social media marketing, because not only are you varying your posts, you’re providing easy-to-digest information in a quick image format.

Live streaming video continues to grow in popularity as a favored way to interact, because it gives viewers that immediacy of participation. Consider recording and streaming your videos vertically, since most interaction on social media happens on people’s phones.

3. A Human Touch

Show that you and your team are real people by highlighting the human element of your business. This is far more effective than posts that look like they were created by an impersonal bot. It’s also crucial that you respond to comments and interact positively. If you do, followers are far more likely to become customers.

4. Influencer Partnering

Getting started on any platform can be frustrating, seeming to take forever to get even a few followers. Partnering with an influencer who already has a large following can be extremely beneficial and provide quick results. Be sure the influencer is well respected as well as popular, as this will boost your credibility.

There are many ways to get your social media marketing campaign to become an effective addition to your brand strategy. These few tips will help to get you moving towards social media domination.