With 4.59 billion social media users globally that spend 147 minutes a day on social networks, it’s no wonder 75% of marketers that use SMM have seen a rise in web traffic and 90% agree it has improved business exposure.
It goes without saying, social platforms have shaped into an undisputed marketing venue. To help you leverage their power, with the expertise of a social media marketing agency, we’re about to uncover some social media tips that will work wonders for your social media campaigns.
You better jump on board, so here are six social media marketing tips we’ve tried and love!
Table of Contents
Separate Social Media Tips & Strategies for Different Platforms
When you're starting a brand new social media account or thinking of expanding to new platforms, it can be tempting to try out every network under the sun. And why shouldn’t you?
With 75% of global internet users relying on social media to research products, it’s only logical to get your business on the social media radar.
But this is not a one-size-fits-all scenario; if you’re successful on Instagram you can’t expect to be doing good on Twitter by extension. It's crucial to have an intentional strategy for every platform you use as each has its own algorithms.
For instance, while you can use hashtags on both Twitter and Instagram, you can’t really write a long description on Twitter as you would on Facebook. It doesn't matter which network you're on if what you're saying isn't compelling or relevant for that platform. You’ll need to tweak your content between networks for any given post, just as we do.
While we publish the same content on our Twitter profile…
📢@amazon, @linuxfoundation, @Meta, and @Microsoft plan to challenge @googlemaps API's market domination with the Overture Maps project starting in 2023: https://t.co/2kRrrIw5uS#news#GoogleMaps#OvertureMaps
— DesignRush (@designrushmag) December 20, 2022
...and on our Facebook page too...
...how we choose to do this differs.
You can’t just jump on social media, throw up some content and see what sticks. You need to understand the platform's purpose when creating a strategy and consider:
- Who are you targeting with each social network?
- How will it help you reach your goals?
- What's possible with this tool?
- What are the pros and cons?
Instead of hoping for the best and expecting to see results, get down to work and:
- Determine the platforms that best meet your business goals and target audience
- Study each platform’s features to see what types of content shine
- Research when your audience is most active and tailor your posts accordingly
- Create clear objectives for each channel
- Use tools to analyze results
Post Consistently
While it's tempting to think your social media posts are the perfect chance to show off your creative side or share memes to attract a larger audience, what really matters is consistency.
There’s always something new happening on social media, so you need to be on your toes at all times and post consistently about your business. However, be mindful and don’t go overboard—not all your actions should require a reaction. You're not just trying to get followers, subscribers or customers—your goal is to attract an audience that loves your content and will continue following you.
Posting content regularly builds trust and familiarity with your followers, which makes them more likely to react to your posts—it leads to a 50% higher engagement rate. Let’s not even mention that it’s the only way to keep your profile active and at the top of search results.
Consider setting a content calendar in advance so you can plan out what you want to post and maintain a consistent presence on each platform. This way, your posts will become an inseparable part of your audience’s newsfeed, so don’t leave them hanging.
How Often Should You Post on Social Media?
How many posts are too little, or worse, too much?
While it depends on your strategy and it’s up to you to find the balance between content and frequency, as a rule of thumb you should post:
- Between three to seven times a week on Facebook
- One to four new pins a day on Pinterest
- Once per business day on LinkedIn
- One to five tweets a day on Twitter
- At least once a day on Instagram
For other platforms like Reddit, the frequency depends on certain factors such as the type of content you are sharing and the community guidelines for the subreddit/s you're in.
Don’t forget that social media is meant to be interactive and engaging! So even if you choose to publish new content less regularly, keep the conversations going with questions and comments. On the other hand, if you decide to post more frequently, do so in smaller chunks throughout the day so it doesn’t become overwhelming for followers.
No matter the count, choose a number and stick to it!
Posting consistently helps:
- Boost engagement rates
- Track customer feedback
- Generate leads and sales
- Reach out to new audiences
- Build relationships with customers
- Establish authority in your industry
- Create brand awareness and loyalty
- Keep followers informed of discounts and promotions
Consistent social media posts also provide an opportunity for effective customer service by allowing customers to engage directly with your business. Plus, businesses can rely on social media analytics tools to analyze how their content is performing and adjust strategies accordingly where needed.
Provide Value
A lot of us are guilty of posting too much content and not enough value. It's easy to put up a post, get some likes and comments and be done with it. But when you provide value, the people will recognize it. If they feel like they're getting something out of it, they'll be invested in your future content and are very likely to share it with their friends.
The key is to find a balance between expressing your brand message and providing value for those who are reading your posts. Don’t fail to deliver what you promise by focusing on self-promotion at the expense of other people's needs.
Share interesting and relevant content that engages the audience while also educating them and helping them make informed decisions. You must also be consistent in providing valuable content such as helpful tips, advice, resources, promotions and updates on industry trends.
With 55% of successful content marketing strategies relying on the content’s quality, here are some tips for creating valuable content:
- Don't just post about yourself or your business. Share interesting stories from other people in your niche or industry.
- Provide examples of what you do that are relevant to your audience, but don't just copy and paste the same stuff over and over again. Update it regularly so that it sounds fresh and new.
- Consider adding visuals such as infographics, memes and videos which are more likely to attract more attention and draw more engagement from users even on platforms that are primarily text-oriented. 84% of consumers were influenced to purchase something based on a promotional video.
Stay On Top of Trends
Social media is constantly evolving and changing. It’s important to follow those changes and keep your social media strategy relevant to your audience. You can use this information to create content that will resonate with your followers and keep their interest when they visit your accounts.
There are different ways you can do this, but simply reading about them is probably the most convenient—there are tons of blogs out there that cover social media marketing. You can always use tools like BuzzSumo to look at what people are saying about different topics and find out exactly what they think about them (and how much influence they have).
However, don’t jump on board with every new trend you see. Instead, embrace only those trends that align with your messaging if you’re to capitalize on their popularity. Otherwise, you’ll risk alienating your audience.
Interact With Your Audience
Social media is a two-way street. You can't just post something and expect people to respond—it's like sending a message in a bottle and hoping someone will read it. If you want to build a relationship with your followers, there are two things you need to do: respond quickly and interact often.
Create conversations by asking questions, sharing content and encouraging feedback. Make sure you're asking questions that elicit responses and engage your audience in discussions.
People love to give their opinions on what they like and dislike, so ask for their feedback. If you're offering a service or product that doesn't align with their needs, they will let you know. This also helps save tons of time and money you’d otherwise invest.
If you're selling something, ask questions like "What are the most important features that would make this product better?” Always give them a response that will satisfy their curiosity and pique their interest in what you have to say.
Collaborate With Influencers and Micro-influencers
Collaborating with influencers and micro-influencers is a great way to build organic brand awareness and increase online engagement. Utilizing the reach of those already established and trusted within communities to promote your product or service can help you target a relevant audience.
Influencers’ campaigns help expand your message, extend beyond the scope of your current followers and create consumer relationships that last beyond one promotion. If you’re on a tight budget, micro-influencer collaborations are less expensive and often as effective as working with more established influencers. It’s because of this that micro-influencers play a major role in small business social media strategies.
Social Media Tips: Key Takeaways
Think of Apple’s #ShotOniPhone campaign. Over the last couple of years, people have been taking pictures on their iPhones following Apple’s encouragement to share their photos for a chance to have their work appear on a billboard. Today, the campaign is so popular that Apple’s Instagram account is dedicated especially to that hashtag. In turn, it has garnered them 29 million followers and worldwide recognition.
How did they do it? They had a couple of extra tricks up their sleeve!
The beauty of the social media tips we discussed above is that they apply to all platforms and across all industries, be it social media for eCommerce marketing or service promotion. If used right, you can achieve unimaginable results and that’s why social media is important for your business’s health and steady growth.
