If you’re reading this, then you know being social is crucial to your brand, and you realize it’s time to “Get in the Game™.” Let us help answer your questions regarding content; what to share and publish. A common mistake that many people make when it comes to social engagement is they focus more on promotional updates rather than concentrating on online relationships. This is more of a traditional marketing tactic in which all outbound messages and posts are just that, but the world has changed if you haven’t noticed, especially in the online world. As businesses and professionals, our online marketing efforts should be built on trust, relationships, and community engagement.
When your following is based on authentic relationships and clients who love your products and services, it’s a safe bet they’re interested in what you have to offer socially. Be sure to share content that’s relevant to your business and your community. Give them something to be involved in and something they can relate to. For example, if you are representing a hair salon, you should post about up-and-coming beauty trends, hair trends, how-to videos and tutorials, services in relation to holidays and special occasions, products you stand by, your stylists and pics of their work, charitable news the salon is a part of, etc. These topics, more than likely, will align with the interests of your online audience. After all, they’re not following you to learn about car parts or engineering news.
Once you have a significant following, and interaction is high, don’t stop there. To keep your followers and their interactions are moving forward, respond to their questions, posts, and shares. This is how your relationships get stronger and how your voice gains trust. We all know, all connections need trust. This holds for online relationships too. Social media relies on conversations, so always be a part of them. Join and hold Twitter chats that are relevant to your brand and if you’re on Periscope or Snap Chat, join in on those conversations too. This will help gain visibility and again, more trust, which will increase more relationships and finally lead to reliable customers.
If you have job openings, feel free to reach out to your followers and post about the opportunity. Social channels are a great place to publicize job openings. Professionals and graduate students are increasingly using social media as a way of learning about companies and open positions. In return, recruiters and professionals in management positions use social media to look for their next rising star as well. Many great professional relationships are created through social media. Don’t miss out if you’re someone looking for a new professional to join your team.
Next, when should you post? How frequent one should update their social media account(s) is a common concern. “How often do I need to update my account?” is a common question I hear quite a bit, and there is no “general” right or wrong answer here. The answer depends on your audience, their online habits, and the content you are sharing. There has been some research that can act as a general guideline, but it’s best to test to see what works best for you and your audience on each platform. Research has proven Facebook and Twitter have different audiences, and those audiences are active during different times of the day on each platform.
The same holds on Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, Google+, Periscope, etc. The bottom line is, whenever you receive the most interaction and when more of your audience is on the platform, that is when you should post the most, consistently.
