Along with the exponential popularity of social media, there’s been an equally large amount of misconceptions surrounding the “right” or “surefire” way to be social and reap all its benefits. In light of that, we’ve compiled a quick list of tips that almost any organization can use, whether they’re building a social strategy, looking to improve their efforts, or are still learning how social media works.
Expand your presence (if it makes sense)
A big misconception related to building a presence on social media is that you should focus on one network. Another big one? That you need to be anywhere and everywhere. Both seemingly have their benefits, whether you’ve got limited resources for the former or a small company and big dreams for the latter. The problem here is that not every network is right for your business. The best approach is to experiment, evaluate which networks are really worth it, and move from there. Wash, rinse, repeat as necessary.
Set aside the appropriate amount of time
Think that your entire social media workload can be handed off to an intern who works a few hours a week? Think again! As you learn more about social’s impact on a business, you’ll begin to appreciate the amount of time and work it takes. This is due to the fact that now, more than ever, social media represents the face and personality behind a company. Our last tip will talk about this in greater detail, but just remember: marketing with social media is just as important as any other tactic.
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This tip falls in line with the first one on the list. The assumption that “the more you post from the most places, the better off you’ll be” really shows a lack of knowledge and experience surrounding social media. Understanding that different networks attract different audiences, and that those different audiences have different expectations in terms of post language, content, and frequency, all come into play during a business’s social media strategic planning.
Cater the message to the network
To piggy back off of the previous point, crafting messages that align with the networks you’re sending from should be the last line of defense before social media communications head out the door. This also reinforces the point of getting educated on the subject. Once you do, you’ll find out that Twitter is more useful for quick, frequent updates, while images and videos are better served for Facebook. Little things like that can mean the difference between fostering engagement and your following taking a major nosedive.
Bring in company and employee personality
One final thing to realize about social – your business is one in a sea of many. It’s going to be difficult to set your business apart, and there isn’t going to be an end-all be-all solution. One great way to get started is to add distinct personality to your social media presence. Remember earlier in the post how we mentioned the face behind a company? Audiences are on social to interact with other people, and nothing will make you look like a robotic, faceless corporation more than impersonal messaging or broadcasts focused solely on you.
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