Social media is changing at a terrific rate and we all need to keep up, but it can be hard to find the time. However, just by setting aside a couple of hours every week to refresh your content can reinvigorate your brand and bring it to the attention of other social media users.
Stay social online with these seven simple steps:
#1. Prioritise your platform
Are you on the right platform for your targeted audience? Which platform is your ideal customer socialising on? The majority of the Facebook audience is between 24 and 54; the Instagram audience is between 19 and 29, while the Snapchat audience is likely to be younger still. If they are professionals maybe you need to reach them on a professional level using platforms like LinkedIn. Remember, as your audience matures their platform preferences may change so make sure you change with them.
#2. Show up regularly
Set a pattern that your audience gets used to and that you can stick to. You really don’t need to post more than two or three times a week on Facebook, three to five times a day on Twitter or once a day on Instagram as long as your audience knows this. Use scheduling tools to help you, like HootSuite for managing multiple platforms or TweetDeck for Twitter, or use the scheduling tool on Facebook.
I really would advise you to have a social media planner to write down in advance the posts that you are going to post in that month. If you are going to do a live stream schedule this is impossible but sometimes in a high-tech world a piece of paper is a life-saver!
#4. Refresh your images
Imagery is one of the most important methods of communication on social media so make sure your pictures set the right message. Use images that are crisp and clean and that don’t cut off when viewed on mobile devices – try editing tools such as Canva and PicMonkey, and keep an eye on what pictures have worked best for you in the past.
#5. People make posts
Posts that contains people in an image will always perform better. Show the people involved in your business, the people you meet, your supplier, your customers; these are the posts that will get the largest amount of organic reach.
#6 Share helpful content
Ask yourself ‘is the content that I’m sharing valuable to other people’? People don’t want sales messages and they don’t want to be forced to buy. What people want is to know and like and trust you, and for that they need to build a relationship with you first – that’s where social media comes in.
#7. Build a relationship
In order for people to know, like and trust you, they need to feel they know something about you. Don’t hide behind your brand or logo – tell people your story, show them behind the scenes of your business, who the people are, what they do and how they go out of their way to make your experience better.
#8. Start to explore video
Video is a major fear of mine and I really had to work hard to overcome it. I wouldn't have done this if I truly didn’t believe it was the only way forward. Facebook’s news feed is now so jam-packed that the Facebook big chiefs have said they want to give more reach to videos which you upload directly to Facebook rather than another platform like YouTube. Facebook wants the audience to stay and play on their platform, not anyone else’s platform.
If you’re looking to expand or promote your business, live stream videos are where you will get the most reach. Think about creative ways you can use video to sell your products or tell your story and plan it into your social media schedule.
Follow these seven simple steps every week and watch your social media ratings soar!
