Where Do I Start?
Social media is an ever-evolving and changing world that is almost impossible to stay on top of. And in fact, it can feel pretty overwhelming (even defeating) if you are trying to gain a social presence and digital traction with your brand.
There are some easy basics that, if followed, WILL lead to success and growth. In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares 10 social media marketing tips for small businesses to help your brand grow organically.
10 Social Media Marketing Tips For Small Businesses
Figuring out where to start when building your social media presence is time-consuming and overwhelming. Every day it seems like there’s a new app or platform available or some app that isn’t as important as it used to be 5 months ago. Keeping up with the Jones' is work, but these ten basic tips will keep you focused and excited about your social media content!
1. Use The Same Handles On Username On All Platforms
Using the same handle across all social platforms provides two big benefits. Not only does your own advertising become more streamlined (who wants to have five different @whatevernameyouare listed on a billboard or printed card?). It also makes it easier for people to find you and shows credibility. They will know they’re following the right account. This especially helps if someone discovers your brand on the internet.
2. Incorporate Your Links On Your Company Website
By using icons that depict your social media site, you can make it easy for your own website to lead consumers to your social platforms. This makes the consumers' decision to follow you and keep you in mind very convenient.
Another idea relating to this would be to embed your social platforms where it auto-updates frequently. As an example, you can embed your Instagram account so that when a visitor enters your site, they see how great and fun your company culture is!
3. Post Daily
To keep your content consistent and your followers wanting (and needing!) to follow for a reason, post daily to keep them aware of your brand presence. But a word of caution here... post daily but not too much! Ten Facebook posts will not serve anyone well. Aim for one per day, and max it out to two on Facebook. For Instagram, a daily, couple times per week, or weekly post will serve you well. Blow them away on Twitter if you want - it's such a fast-moving platform that what you post in the morning can be shared in a different format (change up the image and text for a linked item) throughout the day. Make sure you use Google+ for SEO. Google indexes it, and it WILL get you first-page placement if you do it well. Bombarding with content - or the same content - will annoy your followers, causing them to unfollow you. Use your images and repost them on Pinterest. Your own blogs? Share that original content also through LinkedIn.
4. Schedule Your Posts Out In Advance
Schedule your posts out at a MINIMUM a week in advance. Take the time to sit down and plan out social posts. Use services such as Hootsuite to schedule. This will keep your content as best as it can be. Doing it daily can cause you to post something mediocre because you’re in a rush, and you could also get busy and forget to post! Plus, doing it in advance allows you to eyeball it for a bit longer and tweak it as needed.
5. Be Relatable!
Give a reason for your followers to engage - post relatable content.
Think to yourself, "What would I like to read if I were following this brand?" Post things that give your followers a reason to look forward to your content by providing contests, learning benefits, or just interesting content!
6. Interact With Followers
While posting, ask questions and create posts that your followers will share, like, and comment on! Interacting with your followers will make them feel like there's a real person behind their content, not just an automation!
7. Facebook Loves Facebook
Share images instead of links, post videos instead of links.
You can get high engagement and still keep your fan on Facebook's website. In fact, it's been proven that Facebook wants a user to stay on their site for as long as possible - and pictures help that. And perhaps you'll be rewarded in views by helping with that effort! So a post with a link will be seen by fewer people than if you posted a photo of an image.
8. 80% Values, 20% Promotions
To keep your content consistent and organic, use the 80% Value, 20% Promotion rule.
Nobody wants to follow an account where all the brand posts are shameless self-promotions. That’s like following a commercial on the internet. And except for the Super Bowl for non-football fans, no one watches content for the commercials.
If you are going to promote, do it sparingly. Try to create ways to self-promote that still leaves your consumer feeling engaged and excited to be following you.
9. Mix Up Content Mediums
Be sure you’re posting a mix between videos, links, native videos, and photos.
If you post the same exact content every day, your follower can tend to feel like your content is stale and that if they want to see what you post every so often, they can simply just unfollow you and visit your page every so often. Keeping things mixed up leaves a consumer excited to see what you are posting that day because it is fresh, new, and exciting!
10. Brand Your Images And Videos
Branding your images or videos with your logo or who you are (if you’re not posting direct links) is incredibly important. This is what gets shared!
Say you want to post an inspiring "It’s Monday but keep your head up" quote for your followers. Brand it! That way, if the post gets shared and it gets a ton of engagement, it will show up on others' feeds and satisfy that curiosity of who posted it. If it ends up getting posted somewhere else on the internet, it will always track back to you!
It Takes Time
Building a social presence not only takes many hours in your day but also takes a bit of time to grow your platforms organically. To speed up this process, look for other brands who are in the same boat and collab with them so everyone can gain each other's followers!
Interested in learning more social media tips for your brand? Check out these Hollywood Branded team blogs:
- 3 Reasons You Should Still be Social Media Marketing
- 5 Daily Tips To Make Your Instagram Story Social Media Marketing Pop
- 8 Steps for Re-Branding Your Social Media
- The Power Of TikTok
- Why Social Media Marketing Is Critical For Your Brand
Are you interested in learning more on how your brand can work with social media influencers? Download our e-book that provides case studies, rates and strategies for success when creating a social media influencer program.
