Photo by Merakist on Unsplash
Social media marketing seems like such a simple thing. You write a descriptive paragraph about your company, post it on your social media sites and check in occasionally, right? Well, it’s a start. But if you that’s all you do, you’re really missing out on everything a great social media presence can do for your company. What can you do? Follow these five tips.
1. Brand Consistency Reigns with Social Media
A failure to be consistent is one of the biggest mistakes business owners make when they create online business profiles.
The company Facebook site business name says “Acme Company” while the Twitter company account says “Acme, Inc.” Your CrunchBase company logo is in blue hues but your LinkedIn logo is red. These may not seem like big differences, but they are when you’re building your online brand and trying to create a community of followers.
For example, if you look at the social media accounts of LBF Travel, you’ll see that each, from CrunchBase to LinkedIn, has the same logo and business name. That’s the kind of consistency your business needs.
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2. Make a Standout Profile
You have your company logo and a brief business description on all your social media pages, but you need more. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook give you ample space to add variety and interest to your pages to make them stand out and attract followers.
Graphics, including the cover photos you choose, are instant attention-grabbers. Choose graphics that relate to your business and the information you present. Videos also add user interest.
3. Write Engaging Posts to Broaden Your Community
Another mistake many business owners make when they’re using channels such as Twitter and Facebook is posting boring messages that are way too long.
Twitter limits post lengths, but posts still have to be interesting to catch the user’s eye. Learn how to write concisely and in a way that makes the reader want to know more. Add links to your website or to lengthier content for those who wish to learn more.
Let users know who you are, what your business is about and introduce them to the people behind the scenes with whom they’ll be working. Social media is not, however, where you practice your hard-sell techniques or engage in one-sided conversations.
Encourage conversation by asking questions and engaging in discussions with those who answer. Add contests and polls. Keep people engaged enough to make them want to come back.
4. Grab Them with Headlines in Your Social Media Posts
When you post informational content, top it off with a catchy headline that makes readers want to keep reading. Follow these tips to make your headlines stand out:
- Use simple and personal language. The word “you” immediately addresses the reader and makes the content seem written especially for them.
- Use the phrase “How to” when appropriate.
- Include a keyword or phrase for the search engines.
- Use numbers. For example, if your how-to article is about installing your own floor, the headline might say “How to Install Your Own Hardwood Floor in 5 Easy Steps.”
- Turn your headline into a question to grab interest.
5. Make Social Media Work for You
Another often overlooked feature of social media is that posts and pages show up in Google searches. Your business description as well as your posts should include keywords, key phrases and specific descriptions about what your business does.
Who knows? One of your Facebook or Twitter posts could be a viewer’s first introduction to your business. Keep search engines in mind as you post throughout the week.
