Must Have Tips For Your Social Media Marketing

In this day and age harnessing the power of social media is a necessity when you’re looking to grow your business and expand your brand. From your Facebook page to your Twitter profile, through to Instagram and Snapchat, with a well thought out plan, there are a number of great opportunities out there for your business. 

Social media can be difficult for many businesses to figure out and with each business, social media platform and brand identity differing from one another, there’s no one size fits all approach to running your social media accounts. Luckily we have some advice today for those looking to expand their social media presence and reap the benefits from a optimised social media campaigns.  

Choose Your Platforms Wisely 

While it may seem like a good idea to be on every single social media platform out there, there really is no reason for your business to be using more than 4 relevant social media platforms. It’s a good idea for all businesses to have their own Facebook page as this is the most popular social media platform globally and it’s likely you’ll reach your audience through it, however you should always consider other platforms.

There are a number of platforms available such as Twitter which can be a great platform for creating engagement through tweets, sharing content and even posting images or gifs that your followers can connect with. Whereas for businesses who want to show off their images and graphics more, Instagram and Snapchat are great platforms to explore, with millions of users each day, you can easily share your content to your audience.

Engage With Your Followers 

The point of social media is to be just that, social. Use your social media pages to connect with your followers through posts, comments, @ replies and even user generated content, not only can this demonstrate that your business has time for it’s followers but it also shows that you’re looking to build a relationship with followers too.

Interacting with customers in real time through social media can be the driving force of your business. Whether your customers have questions, a complaint, praise or even just want to add to the conversation you should always seek to respond and actively create connections with them  

Be Consistent 

When it comes to your posts, messages and frequency of your updates you need to be consistent. If you’re looking to build a following your customers need to know you’ll be there for them. Posting content everyday for a week and then disappearing for weeks could leave your followers confused, viewing your account as inactive and leading them to unfollow or unlike your page.

Ideally you should be aiming to post at least 3 times a day and multiple times a week depending on your social media following and your ultimate goals. By posting regularly and consistently you can not only show that your brand is consistent and always there for followers but it also means that customers will see you as always there and continue to engage.  

Make Sure Your Content Matches Your Brand 

Gaining likes and followers is important for your business and is often seen as the most important part of your social media presence, however it’s more than that. While you might be tempted to post anything in order to get attention and to gain likes, this often doesn’t have the desired effect. Instead you should aim to post content that aligns with the overall message of your brand. 

You should always try to fit your social media content around your brand, from the images you post to the tone of voice you use to the colours of your Twitter profile. By posting content that doesn’t match your brand not only make your brand look a lot less professional but you can also discourage customers from following your account.  

Don’t Get Too Controversial 

2016 has seen a lot of controversy, from politics to celebrities to the end of Bake Off as we know it, and whilst it can be incredibly tempting to get your business involved you should probably avoid getting too controversial on your social media platforms. For many it’s a good idea to keep quiet about controversial issues and should try to avoid using personal opinions on your business accounts.

If you really want to utilise a popular hashtag, aim to stay neutral and use humour in your posts. You shouldn’t mock others or poke fun at opposing sides, but by creating light of situations and using relevant hashtags you can increase engagement without causing offence. 

When it comes to your social media accounts you need to be organised, while there’s no guaranteed way to gain followers and increase engagement, following these simple tips can help you on your way to success.