Social media can be as complicated or simple as you make it. There are numerous avenues and platforms to explore, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of social media.
Decide which socials are most appropriate for you
There are a wealth of options available and most do different things. It becomes easy to spread yourself too thin. A much better way of reaching people is to pick a few and do them well, placing regular interactive content that will get your brand noticed and shared.
Make your posts interactive
There is no point producing content for socials if people don’t interact with it. You need to create things that people are happy to share and promote. Facebook, for example, will place posted content out to a portion of followers, if you gain sufficient interaction it will expose it to the rest of your followers and beyond.
Encourage engagement
Use a variety of techniques, such as competitions, questions and images. It’s common knowledge that images increase share rates, but doing things as simple as asking a question that may spark debate can send your engagement levels through the roof.
Revealing your human side
Allow people to relate to your brand on a personal level, include pictures of the team and campaigns that promote your companies personality. Social media and the internet are promoting a more transparent world so embrace that and allow your potential customers a glimpse into who you are and what you do. Don’t over sell! It’s important not to sound like an advert.
It’s all in the timing
Social media users have peak user times that vary from platform to platform. You need to identify which platform you are using and when to post your content to get the maximum amount of exposure. Try using pre-set post times to avoid missing those peak times during busy working periods.
Spark debate
Don’t be afraid to court controversy (provided boundaries aren’t overstepped!). Content that ignites conversation is essential to expanding your reach. It’s usually important to avoid certain topics, such as race, religion and politics, and you don’t need to reveal your stance on your chosen subject, why not just open it out to the floor and see what happens.
Market research
Why not target your audience by sparking conversations with them about their interests. Start following others and sharing their content, people will reciprocate. Some more targeted content for specific users is never a bad thing. Build relationships with influential online users, they may ultimately prove to be very valuable promotors further down the line.