Top 10 Social Media Tips
While it's hard to boil down all the great information out there to just 10 tips, here are our top picks.
1. Be aware that while Facebook is still a giant on the social media scene, that doesn't mean that you should ignore other social media platforms. For instance, some people tend to use Twitter on a more frequent basis, while others prefer the heavy visual style of Instagram. By having a presence on 2 or 3 platforms, you are expanding your reach to your customers.
2. In social media, quality is more valuable than quantity. That applies not only to who your audience is, but also in terms of the information you're pushing out.
3. Create thoughtful & varied content. Include not only your own business updates & news, but also items of interest in your industry. Your business is not about just one thing—it’s not just about a product or a service, it’s about the people, location and industry.
Get started with these examples. You can post images or videos of:
- Products you’ve released
- Teases (sneak peeks) of new products and services
- Office location or tour
- Employees and fans
- Customers in a casual setting
- Events you’ve hosted or attended
- Industry-related articles/blog posts
4. Be personable! Your customers want to know they are speaking to a real person, so keep your communication authentic and less formal.
5. Schedule posts/tweets in advance! Both Facebook and Twitter allow you to schedule a series of posts in advance. We recommend picking a day of the week to sit down and devote even just a 1/2 hour to organizing some Facebook & Twitter updates that will help keep your customers engaged and informed.
6. Pictures! 90% of the information sent to the human brain is visual. Photos (and videos) always perform better than just plain text posts/tweets. It helps your updates stand out amongst others. So try to always include a picture, even if it's just a generic picture that's relevant to your message.
7. To help build up your Twitter following, take the time to find relevant people in your industry. This includes experts, partners as well as existing clients. And if someone relevant follows you, be sure to follow them back.
8. Use Hashtags effectively. They are a great way to help gain followers on both Twitter & Instagram. Use these helpful sites to identify some popular hashtags related to your industry www.hashtags.org (Twitter) websta.me/search (Instagram). But try to limit to no more than 3-4 in a post, otherwise it can get distracting. #hashtagsaregreat #avoidtoomanyhashtags #avoidverylonghashtags
9. Ask questions! People love having input on what you're doing - ask them advice on new products or services you're thinking about introducing, and poll them on hot topics relevant to what you do.
10. Simplify your updates! If you tend to use your smartphone or tablet to update your social media, we've got a great app to recommend. IFTTT (If This Then That) is a brilliant app that will automate your updates. For instance, you can set it up so that any update you do on Instagram automatically gets tweeted to Twitter and posted on Facebook. And the best part is that it keeps the photo in its entirety on each social media platform (instead of just posting an ugly & forgettable link).
BONUS TIP!
11. Use Facebook advertising. It's very affordable and you can target people based on their interests. It's especially useful if you have a key message/announcement you want to get out to as big an audience as possible. So next time you make a post, consider using the "Boost Post" option. Just be sure you included a photo! (re-read Tip # 6)
