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Social media marketing is has become vital to the success of a business online. Every business, however large or small, can benefit by investing in social media marketing. It is a great way to connect with users, boost your reputation, improve your online influence and ultimately acquire new customers.
Successful social media marketing requires active participation which can take up a lot of valuable time and resources. It is hence important to get it right and follow the right strategy.
No two businesses are alike. The same social media technique that works for one business may not necessarily work for another. However, there are some common principles and techniques that can work for any business. In this article we take a look at the top common social media techniques that can help any business, however large or small.
Here are 20 social media marketing tips that every business must follow.
This will make it easier to attract the attention of others and potentially drive more engagement.
It is very easy to get carried away on social media. Businesses should always stay professional and focused on their niche and avoid going off topic.
Delivering your own content on social media is only half the battle. Success on social to a large extend depends on your ability to motivate others to share your content. First and foremost, make it easy for users to share your website content. Consider offering incentives e.g. reveal a special offer when users like your Facebook Page or tweet your page.
Avoid negativity and don’t attack users. It is also important to be sensitive and not to make light of tragedies.
Custom branded social media profiles is an effective and inexpensive way to reinforce your company’s branding and create brand recognition. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn – all allow you to customize the look and feel of your page by uploading cover photo, profile icon, choosing a custom URL, and more.
Following on from our point about frequency, it is very important not to fill your user’s newsfeeds with too many messages, or bombard them with low value information.
Although posting frequently is recommended, bombarding users with information can annoy users and result in loss of followers.
It is also important to note that posting tips for Facebook may be different to posting tips on Twitter . E.g. posting multiple times a day on Twitter is perfectly normal and can help you acquire followers quickly.
On the contrary, take the example of Facebook below, where studies show that posting more than once a day can have a negative effect on following (Facebook Likes).
Some businesses make the mistake of only delivering content from their own website and blog. The main aim should always be to add value for your followers and this cannot be achieved if you are limited to sharing your content only.
Respond timely not only to direct responses but also to all comments, brand mentions or hashtag references.
Posting at certain times of the day produces better results than others. It is important to know what works best for your business and post at these times. You can take advantage of built-in scheduling facility of social media posting tools.
Some types of content get more attention and are popular among users e.g. images, videos, or infographics. Take advantage of these popular content types to increase your reach and get more exposure for your business.
It is generally recommended to post at least 5 to 7 times per week in order to expand your network fast. For best results, spread your posts out on different times or days of the week rather than post all on one day and staying inactive for the rest of the week.
Consistent approach helps to you build your following and makes you more credible and influential e.g. sharing posts at similar times or days.
Although driving sales is one of the ultimate objectives for most marketing methods, social media is an exception. In the face sales messages are generally frowned upon on social media and can damage your reputation and can easily lead to loss in followers. Try to share information that genuinely adds value for your users. It is OK to post the occasional product promotions but try to limit them to less than 10% of your total posts.s
It is generally a good practice to share your content on all your social media profiles whenever you publish something online. This can be anything from a new page on your website, new blog post, a video on You Tube or a podcast.
Free tools such as HootSuite of Buffer can save you a lot of time and boost your efficiency. Such tools enable you to post to all social networks at once, automatically schedule your posts, measure performance, and much more.
A part of your social media marketing can be easily automated without affecting quality. The perfect example is to connect your blog to your social profiles so new posts are automatically shared. You can use free tools like Twitterfeed to do this.
The ability to use Social media to connect with other market experts and influential users within the niche can be easily overlooked by many businesses. Building and fostering relationships with influential users will increase your own online influence whilst providing opportunities for future partnerships and collaborations.
I have come across many businesses that use all their time on posting and do not devote sufficient time to engage with users. Following users in return, sharing their content, commenting on their posts are some ways to do this. This will get you noticed and help form better relationships with your audience.
For maximum exposure, businesses should use several social networks and not limit themselves to just Facebook and Twitter. Google Plus, Pinterest are equally important. Sites like Tumblr and MySpace can also prove beneficial as they tend to target slightly different demographics, thereby improving your reach.
What About You?Do you market your business using social media? What strategy do you use? Are you taking advantage of the simple techniques above? Please share your response by leaving a comment below?
Author K.Singh is the Director of Website Design Agency based in London and the Editor-in-Chief of Internet Marketing & Web design Blog.
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