The constant changing world of social media not only affects consumers, but also businesses who are aiming to grow and build their digital identity as well. There are many benefits to using social media, from advertising, lead generation to conversions, hiring, educating, building teams and more.
However, what’s the sweet spot for businesses to make their social media accounts stand above the rest?
If your social media plan or lack of social planning isn’t working – it’s okay! Let us help you get it back on the right track with these basic DO’s (check out our social media DON’TS) .
At 2Bees Marketing we bring a cutting-edge, 360 view of social media integrated with marketing communications campaigns and we make sure its sales driven.
10 Social Media Do’s
1. Use compelling imagery
In today’s social media-heavy world, content is constantly flowing through our day-to-day lives. With this, our attention spans have shortened to less than that of a goldfish! This makes compelling imagery more important than ever and the perfect companion for any post. In fact, social media posts with a photo are ten times more likely to get engagement.
2. Mix up caption length
Just as no two audiences are the same, no two social media platforms are the same. Each social channel has its own style and rhythm; it’s important that you use data to analyze what your audiences want to see more of. Is it quick-hitting captions that are punchy? Or is it a few paragraphs that really brings the follower into the story, tugging at emotion and ways in which they can relate? Understanding the ideal post length and matching it with with the goals of your post will help grow your channel and keep your audience coming back for more.
3. Keep the social in social media
Have you ever held a conversation with someone that does all the talking? If you have, then you know those one-sided conversations can get boring, leave you feeling left out and even push you to just walk away from it and find something else that peaks your interest. That’s exactly what your followers are doing when you don’t take them into account when posting. Between asking questions, responding to comments and engaging with other posts, you’re not only growing your digital footprint, but also making your audience feel as if they are heard and appreciated.
4. Jump in relevant conversations
There are a lot of benefits that can come from social listening. Social media listening allows you and your brand to join in on topics that are a part of and/or affect your industry. Aside from expanding your reach and bringing your brand to the forefront of hot topics, this is a great way for your executives and your brand to be recognised as a thought leader in that space.
5. Post regularly, but don’t over post
We could sit here all day and tell you exactly how often you should and shouldn’t post to your brand’s social channels. The short answer to that would be, “As often as you can post quality content, consistently.” The long answer would include you should be posting quality, consistent content on a level that identifies well with your audience – per channel. Post infrequently – your audience will forget you. Post too much – you’ll overcrowd your audience’s feed. But right now, you’re looking for the basics, a place to start. And we’ve got it for you:
Facebook: At a minimum, 3 times per week. A max of once per day to start
Twitter: A minimum of three per day and a max of 30 times a day to start. Consider having a tweet or retweet at least once per hour.
Instagram: At least once per day and a maximum of 3 per day.
LinkedIn: At least twice a week and no more than once each business day.
YouTube: You should create a specific YouTube posting schedule and stick with it! Whether it be one video every Tuesday, or two videos per week, design a schedule that matches the amount of quality content you’re able to consistently create and upload.
Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to social media. Starting off slow can help you build repertoire while also providing the necessary time to review data and create a more robust content calendar.
6. Social media is a marathon, not a sprint
Please, get this into your head and let it stay there – there is no such thing as creating content that will go viral. There’s no method. No formula. No strategy. Content either goes viral, or it doesn’t. It can’t be controlled. What can be controlled is making a decision to be in it for the long haul. Things like posting consistently, creating relevant and engaging content, and engaging with your audience all takes time – but it’s a part of the marathon.
7. Set realistic expectations
Has anyone ever told you to set attainable goals? If not, you heard it here first. Setting achievable goals is important to how you manage your brand’s social channels as well. Why? Well, it feels good to know you’re winning, for one. More importantly, you get to see the growth. Going from an average of 50 new followers per month to 100 per month is a small growth, but it’s growth, and you can collect data that will help you understand the improvements you’re making. Celebrating your success helps you to learn and adapt (with all things in life, if you think about it).
8. Write for your readers/audience
All social media networks are different; therefore, you must write your content for each social network. Content that may succeed on Twitter might flop on Instagram. As you build out a content calendar, think about the people you want to speak to.
9. Think before you post
If you are writing for a target audience in mind, the content should reflect their attitudes and beliefs. Keeping your business and personal accounts separate can help you identify content that matches your brands image while also being able to share content that you find interesting on your personal channels.
10. Share stories on your business’s social channels
Remember when Snapchat popped up and it was the hot new thing? Then Facebook tried to buy Snapchat, failed and said “okay-we’ll launch our own story mode”. And thus, the story format of social sharing has taken over the world. In fact, studies show that Stories get 15x more engagement than Newsfeed posts. Have you produced any Story content for your organisation? If not, now is the time. It’s easy to get started on Instagram and LinkedIn, so get going!
The DO’s sound good right? But now you have to do it unless you want a team of social and traditional media experts to help you? 2Bees Marketing can help. Contact us if you would like us to review your social media planning and your overall social media strategy, in line with your over marketing goals!
Call us on 07831628777 or email info@2beesmarketing.co.uk and we are more than happy to help.
2Bees Marketing & Consultancy, our purpose is to provide the most simply designed, simple to understand and simple to execute marketing solutions for our clients. We are your Sales Driven Marketing Agency and Advisory.
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