Oct 29, 2015

By: Chelsea Haley, DKI Ventures, LLC

Social media allows you to reach and interact with millions of people – for free! Okay, there’s no such thing as a free lunch; you have to work at it to build this kind of following, but it is free to: Get set up and acclimated to each platform, connect with and engage your current and prospective customers, follow industry experts, post valuable content to show your expertise, and check-in on what your competitors are doing.

  • Get set up and acclimated to each platform.
  • Connect with and engage your current and prospective customers.
  • Follow industry experts.
  • Post valuable content to show your expertise and build brand awareness.
  • Check in on what your competitors are doing.

The list is endless and the value is priceless. So, hop on board!

Follow our blog throughout the month as we share best social media practices, from how to save time posting relevant content and what best times to post each day on each platform, to how to correctly and how often to post your message to each platform to get the best results.

Follow these simple 10 best practices and watch your customer base and engagement rise.

  1. Plan Ahead:

There are several holidays and annual events that you are already aware of and can plan for. Create a calendar and list each of these with simple messaging; or, even better, utilize the various sites and apps that allow you to schedule post ahead of time and automatically publish them for you. Click here for the latest on scheduling.

  1. Get to the Point:

No need to tell a back-story on social media. Your post should be short and sweet. Abbreviations are typically appropriate. If you want to provide more information, attach a link to your brief post for readers to click on to learn more.

  1. Use Hashtags:

Hashtags help you reach a wider audience on Twitter and Instagram, especially, but also on Facebook during worldwide or national events. “Trending hashtags” are easily accessible on each of these platforms. Read our blog on posting with hashtags.

  1. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:

Not only are visuals more compelling, but it’s a scientific fact that our brains process visuals thousands of times faster than the written word. Make your posts/tweets stand out by adding images or videos. This will help you dramatically increase engagement over posts that only contain text. Read our best practices on posting visuals.

  1. Post/Tweet During Peak Hours:

Depending on your target audience and the platform you’re using, ideal days and times to post may fluctuate. Read our latest blog post to discover the best times to post for each outlet.

  1. If You’ve Got it, Flaunt it:

Leverage and promote your current content – announcements, blog posts, customer FAQs, contests, etc. No need to squander time and/or money creating new content when what you already own shows your expertise, customer service, and can direct traffic to your website.

  1. Post and Tweet Strategically:

Keeping up with the latest breaking news and trending topics is important, but it’s also critical to be respectful of your audience’s newsfeeds on particular platforms. Read our upcoming blog for tips and tricks on how often you should be posting to each social platform. Read our upcoming blog for tips and tricks on how often you should be posting to each social platform.

  1. Quality Trumps Quantity:

Building millions of social media “followers” doesn’t have any impact on your business if they’re not engaged, not sharing your company information with others, not visiting your website, nor buying your services/products. Focus on your current customer base, and build loyalty – If they are loyal to you and your services, word-of-mouth/social media advertising will rise, with them sharing your company with their own followers.

  1. Humanize your brand:

If you expect others to follow you, like/share your content, comment on your posts/page, then reciprocate and connect directly with your followers. Show your followers the people behind the brand. Share photos of your team outings, holiday parties, volunteering events, etc.  Also, consider sharing appropriate pictures of happy customers. Remember that people trust and buy from other people.

  1. Show, Don’t Sell:

If you’re selling, they won’t buy. Your followers aren’t connected with social media to be constantly advertised to, so be respectful of this. Limit your direct solicitation postings to roughly 5-10%. The rest of the time, instead of constantly tooting your company’s horn, provide value to your fans by teaching them something new or giving them something fun or engaging to connect with. Being a thought leader will build brand trust with your audience and will entice them to come back for more.