How To Get The Most Out of Social Media

When it comes to using social media platforms for business purposes, it can be difficult to find success without the right strategy. You will want to keep up with the ever-changing trends so that your content doesn't become stale. It's important to understand the nuances of each platform to be able to create content that resonates with your audience and that will lead to clients and/or customers. And most importantly, you want to be effective so that you're not wasting your time.

By following these tips, you can make social media marketing work for you - even if you're not an expert.

Focus on quality over quantity.

This is usually the first thing I tell my clients. Being consistent on social media doesn't mean that you should constantly be on social media. When using social media, it's important to remember that quality trumps quantity every single time. It is better to take the time to create one post with high-quality content than it is to spend hours creating multiple posts with low-quality content. And because of the algorithm, you only want to post content that will garner engagement so that your content gets seen by more people. Make sure that you are focusing on creating interesting posts that add value to your audience.

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Be strategic about which platforms you use.

There are dozens of social media platforms out there, and it's impossible to be active on all of them if you have a limited amount of time to create content. Research and understand the demographics of each platform and focus on creating content that resonates within those communities. Your target customer or client may not even be on there and you want the time you spend on marketing to be worth it. That's why it's important to be strategic about which platforms you choose to use. Think about where your target audience is most active and start there. Get really good at what you post and get into a rhythm on how to produce that content. Once you've established a presence on one or two platforms, you can branch out to others.

Know your audience.

The key to success in any form of marketing is understanding and catering to your target audience. Take the time to research who your ideal customer or client is so that you create content that speaks to them. Understand their stories, interests, values, and pain points. This will help you create content that resonates with them and encourages engagement.

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make on social media is posting content that is either uninteresting or irrelevant. They create content they think their audience wants to see instead of posting content their audience has asked to see or has already deemed valuable by how they've reacted to your previous posts. If you want people to pay attention to your social media content, you need to give them a reason to do so. That means creating strong content that will start conversations or change people's minds about something.

Only post when you have something to say and not filler content you think you have to post because everyone else is. Only the posts that mean something to your followers will get the engagement to keep you in their personalized feed thanks to the algorithm.

Use your analytics.

Utilize analytics to track the success of your posts, measure the impact of your content, and adjust your strategy accordingly. This will allow you to make data-driven decisions when it comes to creating content for social media and ensure that you are targeting the right audience with the right content.

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Optimize your posts.

If you want to get the most out of your social media posts, make sure to optimize them for each platform. You can do this by researching the best practices for each platform, such as image sizes, hashtags, and the best times to post. Experiment with different types of content to see what resonates best with your target audience. Keep up with the trends on each platform so you don't miss any opportunities to capitalize on new features or changes.

By the time I post this blog, Instagram will have introduced some new fancy stickers or techniques on how to use their platform. Try new things out. Be an early adopter of that new things and then you won't have to compete with such a large pool of other content creators. It may be that the platform will also push your content forward as you're using that new tool.

Hashtags or topic tags can be a great way to reach new people with your content as well. Each platform uses them differently. Pinterest uses topics. Facebook and LinkedIn use hashtags maybe two-three at a time. Instagram users use 10-30 different hashtags in their posts. Either way, make sure you're using them strategically after you've done your research and not in a random way. You don't want to use weak or banned hashtags. Choose ones that are relevant to your content and that will help you reach your target audience.

Make sure your posts are visually appealing.

Another mistake small businesses make is failing to take advantage of the visual nature of social media. Visually pleasing content increases people's desire to buy by 80%! This doesn't mean that you need polished images fresh from your latest photoshoot all the time. It means producing content that will catch your audience's eye and resonate with them. That can be an image, a thought-provoking quote, a video showing the behind-the-scenes of your business, etc. However, if you decide to show it, it needs to be aesthetically pleasing. That means it shouldn't be blurry, it should be easy to read and should evoke emotion that stops your audience from scrolling by.

Most business owners aren't designers so we see a lot of posts that look bad or aren't interesting enough to keep our attention. People are drawn to visually appealing content, so make sure your posts are well-designed and eye-catching. Canva is a great resource for creating visuals for social media posts. Still, sometimes it might be worth your time to outsource your social media design to a professional that can convey the message your content should be sending.

Engage with your followers.

Don't forget to actually be social ON social media. Engage with your followers on your posts and their posts. Social media is a two-way street, and the more you interact with your audience, the more likely they are to interact with you. Respond to comments and questions, share other people's content, and generally be active on the platform.

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Focus on creating relationships rather than sales pitches. Social media should be a place to build relationships and create connections. Don't overpromote yourself or your products 24/7—make sure to have conversations, ask questions, and engage in meaningful discussions. If people feel like you are genuinely interested in them, they'll be more likely to purchase from you and stay loyal customers for longer.

Also, try networking and collaborating with other businesses in your field or industry so you can share content and gain insights into what's working for them. It's also a great way to get more eyes on your content and reach a larger audience.

By following these tips, you can make social media marketing work for you. You can make sure that the time you spend creating content and connecting with an audience is worth it. With the right strategy and a bit of creativity, you can successfully reach your target audience and build a strong presence on social media. And if you need personalized help, be sure to book a social media account review or a more in-depth social media strategy session with us!