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by Fundid on Jul 12, 2023 8:00:00 AM
With social media, you can promote your brand through lead generation and advertising while watching your conversions grow. Businesses can double their returns with social channels. At the same time, hiring managers can vet for the best candidates. That’s why it’s critical that your brand on social media is strong.
According to CareerBuilder, 70% of employers utilize social media to screen and get an idea of how a candidate carries themselves. Additionally, 54% of employers say that they have eliminated candidates due to their social media pages.
The Dos — And Don'ts — Of Social Media
When utilizing social media, there are some important dos and don'ts that you should pay close attention to. Try using these practices in your social media marketing and management plan to assist in ensuring that you efficiently and productively boost your online presence.
1. Make Your Imagery Compelling
One practical way to make your social media post stand out is to include compelling imagery that draws attention. Did you know that social media posts with images are up to ten times more likely to be viewed than those without? Your brain processes images at incredible speeds, making them the perfect addition to your post.
For small businesses that may not have a large budget for marketing, free social media tools such as Canva and SocialBee can be incredibly helpful. These platforms allow businesses to create social media post graphics, schedule posts, track analytics, and ultimately reduce marketing expenses. By leveraging free tools like these, businesses can establish a strong online presence without incurring additional costs.
2. Mix It Up Lengthwise
As social media continues to evolve, businesses and individuals alike are met with the question of what the appropriate length of content is for each platform. With Facebook's variety of formats, Twitter's character limits, Instagram's visually-driven interface, and YouTube's video-focused approach, it can be difficult to determine the perfect length for each post. While all audiences are different, we've added a cheat sheet on the best practices for each social media platform:
- Facebook - Aim for a post of around 40-80 characters
- Twitter - Tweets shorter than 100 words get 17% higher engagement
- Instagram - Focus on the images and limit yourself to 138-150 characters
- LinkedIn - Try to keep under 100 characters to avoid the 'see more' surfacing
- YouTube - Keep your videos between 6-8 minutes.
- Pinterest - Try to publish a new pin 15-20 times a day.
Regardless of how often you post or how long your posts are, it's important to analyze your specific data and what material performs the most successfully. Once you've determined your niche, you will be able to confidently tailor the content on each platform and connect with your followers in a meaningful way.
3. Social Media Posts Need To Remain Social
Stay away from talking too much and not listening. You can grow your digital footprint while reminding your followers that their opinions matter and that you're listening. Give them a chance to engage with you while you're engaging with them and other posts by:
- Asking questions
- Responding to comments
- Engaging with other posts
Engaging with audiences is key to social media success. When interacting with audiences effectively, you can convert them to loyal clients, increase your social media following, and build a solid brand identity. Therefore, small businesses should make it a priority to respond to inquiries and comment timely and professionally to foster a positive identity.
4. Be A Social Listener
As a small business owner, you know the importance of getting your brand out there. Social media listening offers a unique opportunity to do just that while also joining relevant conversations in your industry.
But first, what is social media listening? Social media listening is a powerful tool that small business owners can use to gain valuable insights about their customers and industry. Essentially, it involves actively monitoring your brand's social media channels and online mentions to identify trends, feedback, and opportunities for improvement. By keeping an ear out for what people are saying about your business, you can better understand their needs and expectations and tailor your marketing and customer service efforts accordingly.
However, it's important to listen for buzz beyond just your brand. If you can keep a pulse on conversations and trending topics related to your business, you can jump in and add valuable insights while also promoting your brand to a wider audience. Not only does this help you establish yourself as an expert in your field, but it also gives you a chance to reach new customers who may have never heard of your business before. So take a few minutes each day to be a social listener – it could be just the boost your business needs to succeed.
5. Be Careful Not To Under or Over Post
Be mindful of how often you are or are not posting or updating your content. Always post quality content regularly that will keep your viewers engaged and anxious to see your next post.
But for now, take a look at the most essential places to start:
- Facebook: Three times weekly, at a minimum, and up to once daily max.
- Twitter: Three times daily, up to 30 times daily to start. Consider tweeting or retweeting once hourly.
- Instagram: One to three times daily.
- LinkedIn: Minimum of twice weekly and up to once per business day.
- YouTube: Create a tailored YouTube schedule to post your videos. Consistently create and upload new, engaging content for your viewers. Remember, consistency matters.
You can start slow and build your reputation at the same time. Create a robust content calendar to help you stay on track.
6. No Sprinting on Social Media
As much as we would love to provide you with the secret recipe to creating viral content and never having to think about social media again, there is no foolproof strategy or formula to guarantee going viral. In fact, most content never goes viral. So, it's important to focus more on what you can control with your social media strategies. You can control your decision to brand, engage, and network consistently. Although that might sound time-consuming, it is possible to achieve consistency while maintaining your work-life balance.
One of the easiest ways to remain consistent is to plan your social media content. By laying out the content and posts scheduled weeks or months in advance, it is easier to stay consistent and up-to-date. This posting schedule will help you avoid last-minute expenses and feel confident about publishing your prepared content. To simplify this process and save yourself the last-minute stress, we recommend browsing different tools that allow you to schedule posts in advance.
7. Be Sure That Your Writing Is Geared Towards Your Readers
In order to truly optimize your social media content and reach your desired audience effectively, it's important to focus on writing your message with them specifically in mind. While it can be tempting to create one all-encompassing post and simply share it across all channels, remember that each platform has its own nuances and its own specific demographic, which require a tailored approach.
Take the time to consider what your target audience is looking for on their platform of choice, and create content that speaks directly to them. Ensuring that your writing is geared toward your readers not only increases engagement and interaction but also shows that you value and prioritize understanding and catering to their needs. So as you work on optimizing your content calendar, remember to consider the various types of content that may perform differently across channels and keep your target audience top of mind.
Start Crafting Your Social Media Campaigns!
Your brand’s presence on social media is essential to its growth and success. Implementing the seven tips outlined in this blog post can be the key to making sure that your small business’s efforts on social media are met with success. And while crafting effective content for social media can take some time and effort upfront, it will always be more profitable than trying to “wing it” when it comes to managing one of your company’s primary communication channels.
As a small business seeking growth and sustainability with social media engagement, taking consistent, actionable steps towards building a strong presence on each platform is an uphill battle that can be won if you use the right firepower. If you're ready to make social media easy for your small business and begin driving real results quickly - browse our Growth Partners today!
