Social Media is the most expansive way to connect with consumers. With algorithms constantly changing, however, what’s a popular trend one day may become invisible in searches the next. The tips in this post intentionally are more general because of this issue. Consider these as jump-off points to build an adaptable social media strategy. What’s important is to keep an eye on what others in your industry are doing successfully. As well as using the right tactics to gain the interest of your intended audience.
Before getting started, schedule out time to completely fill out your social media profiles. It’s best to make a cohesive page that showcases your company and branding. The rule of thumb is that your profile pic should be your logo, the username is your business name, and the bio section should have a clear summary of what your business is about. Another thing to consider is that there are two different types of content you can post. There’s original content, which are things you create yourself. Then there’s curated content, which you source from other websites and post links from. How much of which one you use is dependent on what sort of interaction you want from your audience.
Text
The text on social media posts are the most basic part, but that doesn’t make it any less integral. The tone and word choice you use should fit with the attitude of your branding. Your posts should be proofread and edited for spelling and grammar. Although a personal account might get away with some simple mistakes, businesses are more critically assessed. Sloppy posts reflect poorly on the company.
When creating captions for your posts, keep them clean and readable. By adding line breaks between the body of your caption and any hashtags you use it will allow separation from the post in a way that tidies it up. Make sure you’re also using keywords common for your industry in your posts. This will help your profile be search-friendly on any platform you use.
Images
It’s best practice to add some sort of visual media to your posts. For instance, on twitter, a post with some sort of visual element is “150% more likely” to attract engagement. An image can be a representation of what your post is about or be the entire post in itself. Some people find them preferable because they’re a quick glance as opposed to something that requires the audience’s attention for long.
Images can have different purposes on social media. Profile photos are the embodiment of the profile. This is why it’s best for your profile picture to be your business’s logo because it’s the image that shows up alongside anything you post. The header photo/cover image covers the top of your profile page. Many businesses use the header to promote an upcoming event or something else currently relevant. Then there are the images you use in your posts. The size of any post depends on which social media platform you’re using, so you’ll have to keep that in mind when choosing what photos to use.
Videos
Out of all the types of content on the internet, video is the most popular. YouTube has a higher viewer base than even cable TV does nowadays. However, with videos, you only have the first few seconds to get the attention of your audience. It’s also best to lean into the commonality of mobile viewing by creating vertical videos. The video should also be able to convey its message without sound because auto-played videos are usually muted.
You’ll also need a compelling thumbnail to catch attention when the video is not auto-played. Another thing to keep in mind is that native videos get much more attention than ones shared from other sites. Also, most platforms’ algorithms prefer native videos. The maximum video length varies depending on the website. However, if your video is too long, people will lose interest. For the majority of social media its best to keep your video around 2 minutes or shorter. While creating video content, you should also keep video specs and video ad sizes in mind.
Hashtags
Hashtags can be a tedious part of social media. It’s difficult to find the right approach to using them. On Instagram for instance, the max number of hashtags is 30. If you need to cast a wide net, then using the max amount of tags makes sense. Although, if you don’t carefully hide them at the bottom of the post, it could appear rather spammy. If you want to reach a specific audience, then focus your attention on the tags most relevant to you.
One absolute is that you should never use random hashtags. All that will accomplish is annoying people and potentially causing your profile to be blocked. A good way to find new hashtags to use is to explore ones related to those you’re currently using or that are popular in your industry. The problem is if you’re using tags that are too popular your post will be drowned out by all the others. However, if a hashtag is too small, then not enough people might see it. Tags that hit a middle ground are the most advisable ones to use. You can also use hashtags in Instagram Stories, and hide them under stickers or gifs. The color picker is your friend as well, as it allows you to blend hashtags into the background of your image.
Certain hashtags are banned on various platforms. You can tell which ones are by searching for them. The platform might outright tell you that the tag is banned on their site, or you might find it’s a completely empty search result. Here’s a list of some of the tags banned so far in 2020 on Instagram for example. In order to find good hashtags, find popular keywords for your industry. Make a list of them and use the most appropriate ones as hashtags on your posts.
Post Times
The times at which you should post depends on your audience. Research when the people you want to reach are likely to be on social media, test out with some posts in those times and build your posting schedule from there. You can repost old content so that people who didn’t see it previously (because of timezones amongst other reasons) have the chance to do so. Do this with blog posts that can stay relevant no matter when you post about them, also known as evergreen content.
Generally, the times that people are most active on social media are:
Mon- 6:00am-5:00pm
Tues- 6:00am-8:00pm
Wed- 5:00am-7:00pm
Thurs- 6:00am-8:00pm
Fri- 4:00am-5:00pm
Sat- 7:00am-3:00pm
Sun- 7:00am-7:00pm
In Conclusion
There are some things you shouldn’t do. Once again, too many hashtags are not advisable. Also, never tag customers in posts. The end goal is customer engagement but be careful not to be constantly trying to sell something in your posts. People will find it grating. Another piece of advice is to not like your own posts. It makes your business appear awkward or self-absorbed. Other than that, have fun with it! No one’s interested in social media accounts that just robotically post the same exact type of post over and over again—unless it’s actually supposed to be a bot. So be inventive and let this be an opportunity to engage with consumers in a creative way.
If you’re struggling to find the time, or are still uncertain about how to approach your social media strategy, contact us! ScannedMedia has the experience to build and maintain a social following on some of the most popular platforms.