Social media provides you with the unique opportunity to connect with a wide audience. There are many different social platforms and each one appeals to a different demographic of people. While there are certain things that apply to specific platforms, there are some general rules of thumb that can help you grow your audience across most—if not all—social media.
DO: Post original, engaging content
The internet is full of buzzwords and “engaging” is definitely one of them. By “engaging content”, we mean that you should post the kind of content people want to see. Generally speaking, content that uses images does better than a block of text without any images. Images with people in them do better than images without people (humans respond to humans, not faceless corporations). Give your audience something fun to laugh about, something interesting to respond to, or something gripping to feel for. Tell a story or share an interesting piece of company history. Draw them in now and they’ll be more likely to remember you later.
DON’T: Post poorly written posts
While the internet is full of questionable grammar, the posts on your business’s page should not be. Typos happen to even the best writers so take your time and proofread your post before pushing that send button. If you are unsure about the wording of something, read it out loud and see how it sounds. Ask a co-worker to proofread longer posts for you. Use spell check (but try to steer clear of auto correct). And, if you find a typo after you’ve posted something, don’t be afraid to edit the post (if an edit button is available) or delete the post and re-post it without the typo. Better writing will help to give your posts a sense of professionalism and it will help you establish credibility with your audience.
DO: Post consistently
Want to know one of the biggest secrets to growing an audience on social media? It’s having a steady stream of new content. You don’t have to post every day, and depending on the platform it may be more beneficial not to, but try to post at least once or twice a week. You want people to know that you’re here, that you’re actively conducting business, and that they can come to you for whatever services you’re offering. If you have a Facebook page that hasn’t been updated in 6 months or an Instagram with a whopping 5 posts, it won’t inspire much confidence for the kinds of people who use social media. Obviously, if you’re a new business (or new to the platform), it would make sense for you to have only a few posts at the start. If you consistently post at least 1-2 times a week, you can grow your pages and appeal to more people.
DON’T: Post low quality images
While you’re posting that engaging, well-written content on a consistent basis, avoid posting images that are low quality. And that’s low quality as in low resolution (pixelated) or hard to see. Copies of copies don’t work with paper and they don’t work with digital content either. If you’re sharing something like a comic strip or a meme, avoid sharing screenshots (and make sure you have permission to share it). If you’re sharing a photo, you want the image to be crisp and clear so your audience can appreciate it and can see what you’re wanting to show them. Avoid low light situations and try to keep unnecessary things out of the photo.
Navigating the ever-expanding world of social media can be fun and exciting. It can also be a little daunting, especially from a marketing perspective. If you’d like help with managing your social media, contact Bold River Marketing today.