You’ve probably figured it out by now, but social media isn’t going away. So you should embrace it and use it to help your business. But before you set up a new account or fire off a tweet, you first need to develop your strategy for your brand. What are you trying to accomplish with social media? Once you have a plan in place, start executing – one social media site at a time. Here are some tips to get you going.
10 Tips to Help You “Be Better” on Social Media
#10: Start with Share-Worthy Content
People share for a variety of reasons – to spread important and interesting information, to support a cause they care for, to give others a better sense of who they are, and to grow and nourish relationships. That means your content needs to strike a chord and be share-worthy. A “share” is worth so much more than a “like.” Before posting, ask yourself, would I share this? If the answer is no, come up with something that is share-worthy.
#9 Create an Editorial Calendar
Planning ahead gives you the opportunity to consistently provide your audience with timely posts – and saves you time and headaches. An editorial calendar doesn’t have to be fancy - a simple Excel file will do. List dates down the left column and the channels where you engage across the top. Fill in cells with content you plan to share or resources you find. Get creative and plan ahead. Be sure to include holidays, special occasions, major events and seasonal content.
#8 Cross-Promote Content
Get the most out of your content by reusing it on different channels. Take a great pic? Blog about it and then share that blog on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ page. Just be sure to tailor each post for its intended social network by changing out the headline/call to action to fit the appropriate channel.
#7 Segment by Social Media Channel
People use different social networks for different reasons, so it’s important to match your agenda to the appropriate social network. People use Facebook to connect with people they already know so a picture of your co-worker on her 40th birthday is more appropriate than say on Twitter. Reserve your next Tweet for that breaking real estate article. Think about why you use each social network and plan your strategy/content accordingly.
5 Ps of Social Media from Guy Kawasaki
#6 Use Images
Nothing new here. Images, infographics and the like have a tendency to be the most engaging, so use images whenever possible. Even Twitter has changed its format to allow for better and easier photo sharing. Use your phone to take and share photos or use a resource such as Canva to easily create fun (and FREE) graphics.
#5 Take Advantage of URL Shorteners
Shortened URLs are important for a few reasons: they help maximize your character count, they provide a myriad of analytics including click through rates, they can be personalized, and they look more professional than a long URL. If you are new to the world of URL shorteners, try Bitly.
#4 Pay Attention to Timing and Frequency of Posts
Best practices dictate that Twitter should be updated more frequently than Facebook. Why? Because the life of a Tweet is short. But all best practices are trumped by your audience, their lifestyle and when they tend to be online. Pay attention to each channel’s analytics and try some simple A/B tests to determine your best practices. If something works, keep doing it. If something doesn’t work, try something else.
#3 Tag, Tag, Tag
Tag other businesses, co-workers, clients, community groups, political leaders, industry experts, sponsors, and anyone you reference in a post. Tagging others in posts creates a sense of community, increases reach and engagement, kick-starts conversations and relationships. Likewise, tagged posts are more likely to garner likes, shares, plus ones and retweets. Tag, but tag appropriately. Don’t spam by tagging someone that isn’t relevant to your message.
#2 Find and Elevate Ambassadors (Or create them!)
If someone is liking and sharing your content, thank them and then share something of theirs. If someone comments on a post or replies to a tweet, respond! Don’t ignore them. Create ambassadors by engaging with others. Comment on their most recent post. Or tag them in something you think they might be interested in or benefit from. Social media is not a one way street; it is about creating and fostering relationships.
#1 Be Human
Be a resource. Provide value. And do it in a normal, human voice. Write posts on your business page in the same voice you do for your personal page. Be fun. Use friendly, casual language and share aspects of yourself and your business that gives your followers a fun, unique view of who you are and why they would want to do business with you. Don’t just sell. BE YOU!
Have you had success on a specific social media channel? What tips do you have to share? Leave them in the comments section below and we will share them in an upcoming post.
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- Rupert