There is no question your business should be on social media. The popularity of the platform has exploded in the past several years that it has become part and parcel of life—in and out of the virtual world. The only thing you need to decide on is which social media network to join because not all sites will matter to your business.
The key is to maximise your energy and, in the process, not waste your efforts on any site that will not deliver results. You need to know where your audience is active and where they are searching. To get you started, here are just some of the more crucial social media sites your business should be on:
It is the largest social media network with over a billion users. Every day, there are 968 million active users. Regardless of your industry, business model, strategy, or audience, Facebook is a valuable platform for your organisation. And with further improvements that help businesses boost posts, your campaigns will definitely have an impact.
It’s not as big as the other social media platforms, with 380 million members, but it’s a valuable one for B2Bs. Also, 63 percent of marketers who use the platform report positive results.
With the right content, your LinkedIn page could also appeal to consumers. Indeed, this is a platform for professionals (45 percent are in upper management) but keep in mind that those professionals are also still consumers.
Did you know that 89 percent of Twitter followers feel more connected to a company after following it on this social media site? That provides ample opportunity for establishing brand loyalty. But while your content doesn’t require lengthy posts, since you’re limited (at the moment) to only 140 characters each time, you should develop a strategy.
Remember that the ultimate goal here is to share, and not to sell. Make your posts compelling and valuable, and provide links that will give your business better search visibility.
It has the highest revenue per click in comparison to other social sharing networks, according to a report from Kissmetrics. And because it is visually driven and images have more appeal to Web users, your social media strategy would not be complete without a Pinterest account.
Other social media networks your business may want to consider are Google+, Vine and Instagram. Niche social sites could also boost your results, if not at least add to your Web presence.
Once you’ve picked your platforms, follow DigiEnable’s top tips for getting started…
- Think about your audience – what does your audience do on the social media platform you’ve chosen? Do they like short or longer form content? What are their interests? Why are they using the platform?
- Schedule your content wisely – think about what day and time your audience are most likely to engage with your content and post your content then. Use a calendar to plan out your content, and schedule posts in advance using tools like Buffer or Hootsuite for maximum productivity.
- Keep an eye on your analytics – what’s hot and what’s not with your content? Use your analytics to determine what your audience like, and do more of that!
- Use mixed media – a visual post is 150-180% more likely to get interaction that text alone, so get your cameras out and start sharing those photos, audio and video.
- Keep in mind the 80/20 rule – you should only use 20% of your posts for “selling your wares” or telling your followers what you do. The other 80% of the time you should be building relationships and conversations, ask questions to get responses and answer questions where you can, and really, just being dang right helpful and show yourself to be the knowledgeable guru that you are for your sector.
Hopefully this blog post has given you a bit of focus on where to start and what platforms to look at first, whether you’re just starting work on your online presence, or are keen to make it work harder for you. We run a variety of Social Media Training Courses you can check out, if you’re ready for the next steps.