One of the most humbling experiences as a digital marketer is publishing that tweet that you knew would be a total goldmine for your audience, only to see it turn out to be a total flop. We like to think we can produce stellar social media content daily, but we’re all human. There are bound to be times when we hit a brick wall when planning content. This is especially true regarding content that aligns with your brand. If you’re starting with social media marketing or looking for a few social media tips for inspiration, here are a few nuggets.
Social media tips for beginners
Sync posts across all social media accounts
It’s a wise idea to invest in a social media management tool – such as Later or Tweet Deck – to help schedule your content. This is especially true if you’re just starting out. These tools allow you to slot your social media calendar and keep an eye on metrics across all of your accounts. Keeping your content synced will help make sure that you post across all of your social platforms and introduce followers with multiple accounts to your brand.
Republish and update older posts
You likely have a mound of content that’s outdated. One way to spruce up these archaic posts is to freshen them up with new ideas for the sake of SEO. Doing so will not only draw in new readers, but it also takes less time than constantly publishing new material. You can update blog posts, landing pages, and offers on your website.
The primary purpose of your social media marketing strategy is likely to put your best foot forward. That being said, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel day in and day out. All in all, it is important to refresh content to reflect the constantly changing world of social media.
Schedule posts for evenings
One of my favorite marketing tips is that weekends are also a great time to schedule posts. Scheduling content to go live during the later part of the day opens up a door for engagement that isn’t cut off by time zones. This way, even if it’s 3:00 AM in your actual geographic location, your tween about your new update reaches audiences around the world.
This tactic ensures that global audiences are able to access fresh content during their workdays as well.
When scheduling posts for the evening hours, avoid content that requires engagement from your internal team. For example, an Instagram post that invites followers to “Comment below!” about something isn’t the best idea to post at midnight. Why? Well, it’s actually quite simple – you’re likely not awake to engage and respond!
Include hashtags to improve engagement
Another one of my favorite marketing tips is that #hashtags are like gold when it comes to increasing your online reach. Common tags like #SocialMedia and #MarketingTips are great, but try searching for more niche #hashtags. Take Adobe’s #CreateYourStory or community-based #hashtags like #DetroitMI – both are great examples of more focused #hashtags. These are the sort of #hashtags that an active audience will check out on a regular basis.
In addition to using #hashtags, try creating your own branded #hashtags. Doing so allows you to track what your followers and customers are saying about your media presence and your overall brand.
Uses visuals!
This may seem like a pretty obvious marketing tip, but I’d be a fool to assume that everyone knows this to be true. If you’re just getting started, it’s okay to not invest a small fortune in visual content. However, it’s wise to include images, videos or graphics whenever possible.
There are a handful of great graphic services out there, such as Canva, that help you edit and create visual content. In addition to standard graphics, GIFs are a superb way to engage with a younger audience. Also, don’t forget that most people are likely to engage with your content on a mobile device. Lastly, don’t forget that the smartphone in your pocket is a great tool for creating eye-catching visuals.
Intermediate social media tips
If you’ve tried your hand at social media already and are comfortable branching out, these intermediate marketing tips are for you. They’re aimed at easing the process of creating uniform content throughout your social channels while also increase engagement and ultimately, clicks.
Post multiple times each day
Posting multiple times each day is far more powerful and effective than posting just once a day. This doesn’t mean that you need to post every hour, but posting one to three times a day keeps your brand at the forefront of your audience’s mind. Furthermore, reposting user-generated content also counts, so don’t freak about coming up with tons of new content ideas.
If you’re seeking out ways to brush up your content marketing, consider incorporating an infographic or eBook into your next Facebook post.
Incorporate your brand into your social strategy
In short, your brand should speak for you. Once you’ve successfully established your brand, think of ways to blend it into your overall social media marketing tactics. You can accomplish this by adding your logo to blog posts, including a company #hashtag, or highlighting your employees.
Engage your audience with interactive content
Whether you opt for Twitter polls or Instagram Q&A’s, there are numerous ways to engage your audience and make your brand’s content more diverse. You can employ interactive content that educates your audience about your products or to connect with your audience.
Consider the ways in which your audience engages with your competition and how you can add your brand into the mix. You can even ask your audience what type of content they prefer to experience via an Instagram story.
Invest in more visual content
As you become more comfortable with your social media skills, its time to invest more in visual content. Visual content isn’t limited to Instagram. Post infographics about your industry on LinkedIn…tweet a funny meme relating to your company culture…post a video on Facebook taking viewers on a high-speed tour of your office.
Advanced social media tips
Use new app updates to your advantage
Have you tried your hand at TikTok or IGTY yet? If not, you should consider exploring these channels. You seriously don’t want to miss out on your content having the potential to meed 1 billion phones.
New apps and app updates provide the ability to diversify your brand and keep things fresh. If you’re looking to showcase your company’s humorous side, consider posting a dance video on TikTok. If you’re looking to bring that podcast of yours to visual audiences, upload it to IGTV.
Invest in influencers to promote your brand
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but young audiences tend to listen to their idols. 40% of millennials trust the products that their favorite influencers promote on their channels. That being said, investing in influencers may be an avenue to consider when trying to generate sales. If you capture a younger audience, it’s a smart idea to research influencers in your industry and pitch potential partnerships. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, consider how influencers are branding their content. You could very well be able to incorporate some of their tactics into your own strategy.
Diversify content on each social media platform
Thanks to one of my previous tips, you can now update and sync your social accounts like a pro. Now it’s time to take your social media posting game to the next level – make said content unique. When diversifying your content, it’s essential that all content relates back to your company’s goals and overall mission. There’s zero need to post a recipe for funnel cake on your marketing company’s Instagram. However, an infographic showcasing the ‘recipe’ for a perfect caption would being a compelling and on-point example.
Start promotions to build audience growth
Have you ever run a contest on your Twitter account? If not, you should definitely give it a shot! Don’t worry about whether your promotion is big or small, just run one and see what happens. Running a promotion can be as simple as giving 10% off your product or service to a lucky winner who likes/retweets your post. This expands your reach and also sparks lead generation among your customers’ followers.
Create timely content that resonates with audiences
I’m a big fan of taking advantage of the meme of the moment. Creating content adds some flavor to your channels and can explain the uses of your product in a new way. Memes aren’t the only way to accomplish this task – seasons are also a great way to get the ball rolling. Is your company currently enduring the bitter cold of winter? What better way to celebrate the season than snapping a picture of your company’s favorite snowy activity and posting it to Facebook? On the other hand, #NationalSandwichDay is November 3rd. This is a great time to share images of your employees devouring their favorite hoagies and grinders!
Closing thoughts on current social media tips
Maintaining fresh content is difficult, even if you’re a veteran social media pro. The pressure is certainly on these days when it seems like trends are adjusting every second, and diving in can seem like tumbling down a rabbit hole. The above tips will keep you current on organizing your page, upgrading your content, and growing your target audience.
