Social media is one of the most practical business-to-consumer marketing tools you have at your disposal. So it’s crucial that you know how to make the most of it. Up your social media game with these tips!
Understand the social aspect of social media
Because we use our devices to interact on social media, it’s easy to forget the word “social” is there for a reason! On the other side of your screen, there are real people with real lives. Customers will naturally gravitate to your brand if it makes them feel acknowledged, seen, and heard.
Personal posts give your brand personality and dimension and a trustworthy presence online. Unsure how to be more “social on social?” Here are some ideas:
- Be honest, tactful, and prompt.
- Use shoutouts (click @, type a person’s name, hit enter), personal anecdotes, and replies to comments/reviews to connect with your clientele.
- Share interesting content (and avoid controversial topics.)
- Interact if someone mentions you in a post of theirs.
- Post a poll or start a discussion by posting a relevant article with your thoughts.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what your business is. Being approachable, witty, and helpful will always make you stand out.
Get visual
Not getting much engagement on your promos? Use a visual. Trying to spotlight a new product? Use a visual. Visual content is everything these days, because followers respond to visual marketing. (Just look at the billions of Instagram users.)
What’s so appealing about visual content? It provides your followers with a slice of information, inspiration, or humor in a quick bite. People are busy, their attention spans are short, and it takes energy, dedication, and time to plow through words. But images like infographics, memes, and photo quotes can be digested quickly and easily, over a coffee break or while waiting in line.
So whenever you can, go visual! Whether that means posting short bios periodically with photos of familiar company faces; or doing a short, live video to say whatever you have to say–you can communicate a lot with visual content.
Fight social media burnout
If you’re running out of post ideas or are tired of posting to your social accounts, you probably have social media burnout. It’s tough being consistent, original, and creative all the time! That’s why you need a social media plan.
First of all, post strategically. Posting on certain days and at certain times will reap higher engagement. For example, people are more likely to see your posts and interact mid-week, either right before lunch or right before people get off work.
Secondly, to make things easier on yourself, schedule your posts ahead of time, in batches if you can. Also, don’t be afraid to recycle content. Write a list of themes and ideas that are important to your business and assign a different topic for each month. That way, whether it’s January or June, you already know what you’re posting about.
With some know-how and careful planning, you can easily take your social media game to the next level!