As a business owner, now is the time more than ever to up your game on social media. This means more than just posting about your latest products and services or great sales – social media marketing requires commitment and strategic thinking.
Here are some of the best tips I can give you to get ahead of the game:
- Don’t discount the “smaller” social network sites
Having Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is great, but they aren’t the only social networks that businesses can benefit from. Test out everything – Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, etc. and you could be surprised at the results!
Pinterest and Instagram are great for companies in industries which have visually appealing products and services (e.g. architecture, beauty, catering, etc.) plus, Instagram is currently being used more than Twitter globally!
By having a validated Google+ account, it puts you on the map when people search on Google for things relevant to you. It also means that when people Google your company name, a mini profile of your business comes up, including your contact details, reviews, and a link to your website.
- Share content frequently
We often share our articles and testimonials more than once on our social media profiles, for multiple reasons. We may have gained more followers since we previously posted it, or it may have been missed by some.
Different people have different habits when it comes to checking social media – many people go on social media when they first wake up, and others go on in the evenings (many do both!). You’re more likely to reach more people by sharing content multiple times throughout the day.
- Take time getting to know each social media network
Rather than publishing content on every social media network without really knowing what works best on each one, take the time to figure out the strategies and best approaches for each.
For example, if you’re putting the same post on Facebook and Instagram, they might need to be tweaked slightly to be their most effective for each profile. To be successful on social media, it’s important to understand that all social media networks work differently.
- Use Twitter to improve your customer relationships
With 72% of people more likely to make a purchase from a small business after interacting with them on Twitter, there’s no reason not to put your business on there. With over 200 million active users, there’s a big chance that your customers are on Twitter.
Twitter can help your company build relationships with customers, as well as connect you with other businesses and industries that you’re interested in.
- Use LinkedIn to expand your professional network
Whether your business is corporate size or just starting out, it’s important to have a social media presence on LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows businesses to provide credibility of their brand through their own business page. It also allows small businesses to be in a space where professionals and customers are.
- Use imagery and videos on social media
When going through your Facebook and Twitter timelines, how much of the content that you see is videos and images? This is what people are currently interested in – visual posts! On Twitter, posts with images are now 150% more likely to get a response, and you can upload up to four images per post; use this to your advantage.
- Be strategic with #hashtags in relevant social media networks
Thoroughly research trending hashtags and embed them into relevant posts, and also use hashtags that your target audience may be likely to search. If you want to broaden your audience reach on social media, you need to be in the know with existing trends and use them to your advantage.
