Ways To Advance Your Social Media Strategy

Most businesses have caught on to the fact that social media is here to stay and have made the wise decision to get involved. They’ve set up profiles on all of the major social networking sites and added links to these pages on their website but many are left wondering, “now what?”. Instead of taking a strategic approach to social media many businesses are aimlessly throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Social media, like any other marketing tactic, requires a strategy. If you’re feeling a little lost in the social media world, here are some tips to help you out and advance your social media strategy:

Post everyday
You can’t be passive when it comes to social media. The businesses that “get it” are on there every day, posting great content and engaging with their followers. Of course, this takes time. A small business may be able to handle it all within 30 minutes a day but larger businesses will need a dedicated social media person or team to handle it all.

Post engaging content
Social media is about being social! Don’t just sign in, post a link, and sign out. Post content that encourages feedback and ask your follower questions. If your posts aren’t engaging followers will quickly lose interest.

Respond to posts
If someone asks you a question in social media or shares a comment or concern, you need to address it. Both positive and negative mentions should be addressed. If a follower takes the time to Share, re-tweet, or comment on a post you should take the time to thank them.

Post a variety of content
In addition to links to your most recent blog posts or promotional content, share pictures and videos. Social media is a visual medium and there’s lots of distraction. A photo or a video is more likely to stand out in a News Feed.

Keep posts uncluttered
Especially on Twitter, there’s the temptation to load up on hashtags, @mentions, links, etc. but you don’t want your message to be lost! A social media post shouldn’t be confusing to understand. Keep it simple and straightforward and keep the “extras” to a minimum.

Figure out the right time to post
When is your target audience most likely to be checking their social media sites? If you cater to a 9-5 crowd that might be in the morning or during lunch time. If you cater to college students, posts late at night might be more likely to be noticed. Do some testing to figure out when you get the best response.

Utilize social sharing buttons
Make it easy for others to share your work in social media. Add sharing buttons to your website, blog, and email newsletter content.