Trying to figure out how and what to post on social media can be both time consuming and daunting – especially when platforms and algorithms keep changing. But if you want to remain competitive, social media needs to be an integral part of your marketing strategy.
We love all things social and want to see local businesses succeed. Follow these five tips to level up your social media game!
Tip 1: Schedule Your Posts
If you are a small business owner, you have a hundred things on your to-do list each day. Making sure you post on social is probably not a top priority for you!
This is where scheduling apps come in handy. If you only have a Facebook page, you can use the Facebook scheduler (under publishing tools). Scheduling out your posts in advance will free up your time and knowing that you have it done will help you rest easy.
If you like to post to multiple accounts, I suggest looking into scheduling apps such as Hootsuite and Promo Republic. They will let you pre-schedule all your social media posts so you can create, post and forget about it.
Tip 2: Consistency is Key
Social media consistency is great for two reasons. Number one, the more you post, the more you will start getting the hang of it. At first, it might be hard to think about what content you should be putting out there, but after a while, it comes naturally.
The other reason is that consistency helps the social platform understand that you are a content creator. As a result, it will start pushing out your content a bit more as you keep producing it.
Tip 3: Create a Team
If you have people that you trust in your business, give them the passwords and permission to post. In addition to taking some of the burden off your shoulders, it gives your followers another perspective of your business. We all see and experience things differently and this is an easy way to show customers or clients another point of view.
Remember to lay out ground rules before other team members start posting. For instance, state no political posts.
Tip 4: Utilize Video
Video is an essential part of any social media strategy. More than one-third of the time spent online is spent watching videos. If you aren’t using video, you are missing out on big opportunities.
It is estimated that by 2021, 80 percent of all web traffic will be video. Facebook streams four billion videos daily and people consume one billion hours of YouTube videos per day. These numbers are staggering and they tell us one thing: people love video! It also shows that it is worth the effort to create video content to help grow your brand.
You do not have to purchase expensive equipment and build a studio to start recording. Simply use your smartphone and go! Get in front of the camera and let your audience get to know you. Show them your wins, your losses and everything in between.
Inviting your audience into your life will help build trust and as the old marketing saying goes, “When you have their trust, you have their money.”
Tip 5: Use Stories
I love stories because these don’t have to be as polished as regular posts but are still a great way to get in front of your audience. Use them to show the ‘human’ side of your brand.
Instagram has made it easy to connect your story to Facebook stories, eliminating half of the work!
Conclusion
Social media is here to stay. If you aren’t online, you are dangerously close to becoming irrelevant. Whether you have a huge following right now or are just getting started, the above tips will help you grow your audience and expand your brand.
Have some more advice on creating a social media strategy? We’d love to hear in the comment section below!