10 Ways To Step Up Your Social Media Game
Social media can be used as a gateway to a wider audience to boost your brand, but only if your social media strategy is strong…
Most small business owners know that social media platforms can be extremely helpful when creating traffic for your website and chatter about your brand. But many small business owners simply aren’t making the most of their social media strategy.
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even Snapchat can improve brand recognition, widen your customer base and inflate your bottom line. But how do you know if you are making the most of this inexpensive marketing tool? The beauty of social media is that a few small changes can make a big difference in your results. Businesses and individuals go viral every day, perhaps today is your day!
Below you will find 10 tips to help your business take its social media strategy to the big leagues:
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Set Goals
Before you get started, it’s important to outline what you want to gain from your social media efforts. Be as specific as possible. Set goals like 150 additional likes and followers by the end of the month. Firm goals lead to better results.
If you aren’t sure what goals are good for your social media pages, a good rule of thumb to start out with is 10% more than your typical average. While it may seem like a small goal, you can always increase as you continue to work with your social media strategy.
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Branch Out
Many small businesses have a pretty good following on the standard social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But to really make a splash you may want to look into other platforms that you haven’t explored yet.
Newcomers to the social media stage like Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest can offer benefits that you may not think apply to your industry. By being creative and jumping into other platforms you can expand your reach and interact with customers you wouldn’t normally appeal to.
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Interact
The greatest power for social media comes from being able to interact directly with the people who use your products and services. By being responsive to all requests and comments, you can stay on top of what could be seen as bad press while also promoting the very important fact that your brand is trustworthy.
It can be tricky being available all of the time, but is important to respond to any messages, tags or comments within a short time period. You will be amazed by the comments that promote your product as well as the insights that customers can provide. After all, they do know best!
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Find Hotspots
No matter what industry you are in, people are already talking about it. The trick is to find out when and where. By looking for details about conversations that are already taking place, you can include your brand and take advantage of the traffic. Social media is entirely searchable and finding the voices talking about your brand and industry can help promote and attract new and exciting opportunities for your business. All that is left to do is search for the hot topics and help yourself.
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Find Your Voice
Don’t be afraid to show a little personality within your posts. Social media shouldn’t be all business all the time. Have fun with your audience and create a tone of voice that is unique and attractive.
Make sure that you stay away from sensitive topics, and that you always maintain a positive outlook. Many big companies have shown the world what not to do on social media, but if your plan is well thought out, social media can be a lot of fun for you and your followers.
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Make A Schedule
It is important to be consistent when posting on any platforms. Even if your time is spread thin, set a schedule that you can stick to. Whether it’s once a day, once a week or once a month, make sure that your page never approaches the abandoned status.
When customers research an organization or business, one of the first places searched is social media. If your page has been empty for an extended period of time it will reflect poorly on your business and can hurt your overall sales. Be sure that once you have a schedule in place, stick to it.
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Track Results
If you aren’t sure how well your social media efforts are being received, you could be wasting your time. The message you are sending may not be the right target audience causing your social media reach to fall short. Popular posts are seen more and it is important to find what works for you. By using the tools available through Facebook and Twitter, you can track your progress towards your goals.
Facebook Page Insights create helpful graphs and charts to show social media strategists exactly how many people are paying attention to your posts, what is working and what isn’t. Make small adjustments as you go along, and you will soon create a large audience that hangs on your every word.
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Go Live
Live video feeds are quickly becoming the next big thing in social media. Use the live video feature to show exclusive events and tours of your facility. By getting out into the world and engaging your community you can create a brand identity that is fun and up to date. Facebook Live allows you to interact with viewers in real time, and to create relationships with those who interact with your brand. It’s an opportunity you don’t want to miss.
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Educate Yourself
Social media is like all other technology – fluid and quickly evolving into something new. Just because you are confident you have a handle on one area of your social media strategy today, it doesn’t mean that your skills and knowledge will still be relevant next month in the same way. By constantly working to improve your skillset you can get in touch with your inner social media guru. Follow the important social media blogs and look for any sort of free (trusted) advice you can find. The more you know about the social media world, the better you can present yourself to your customers.
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Connect The Dots
Even if you follow all the rules of social media, there may still be holes in your approach. Look for where the message you are sending out into the world may being getting lost or falling through the cracks. Always work to better connect your website to the social media platform of your choice, and then out into the world. By making sure that these connections are in place, you can carry a strong, clear message of who your business is and what you stand for.