The marketing world looks vastly different than it did a decade ago with the rise of social media. Businesses now use social media to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and drive sales. Social media allows businesses to communicate directly with their target audience and create personalized experiences that build trust and loyalty. It also provides valuable data and insights, allowing businesses to track their performance, identify trends, and refine their strategies.

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Overall, social media has made it easier for businesses of all sizes to compete in the marketplace by leveling the playing field and providing new opportunities for growth and innovation. By harnessing the power of social media, businesses can enhance their visibility, reputation, and bottom line, making it a crucial part of any modern marketing strategy.

While businesses can benefit greatly from using social media, best practices for businesses can and should differ significantly from personal social media usage. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most important social media best practices that businesses should follow.

1. Establish a clear social media strategy

Before you begin using social media for your business, it’s essential to establish a clear social media strategy. A well-defined social media strategy can help you create relevant and engaging content, build your brand, and drive more traffic to your website.

What is a social media strategy?

A social media strategy is a plan that outlines how a company intends to use social media to achieve its marketing goals. It involves the following: 

• Identifying the target audience
• Determining the most appropriate social media platforms
• Setting goals and objectives
• Creating and sharing content
• Measuring performance 

A social media strategy provides a roadmap for effectively engaging with followers, building brand awareness, driving website traffic, and ultimately increasing sales. By developing a social media strategy, businesses and individuals can ensure that their social media efforts align with their overall marketing objectives and that their investment of time and resources in social media is well spent. 

2. Be consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to social media. Consistency not only helps build brand recognition, but it ensures that your followers know when to expect new content from you. You should aim to post on a cadence that is outlined in your social media strategy. 

Keep in mind that while you want to be consistent, you have to find that balance between not  over-saturating your audience’s feed but still posting enough to form a connection with them. If you’re unsure about a post, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “What value am I providing to my audience?”

How often you post will depend on what platform(s) you use. There are many suggestions out there for how often to post on each platform, but make sure to do what works for your business. If you are just starting out, 3–5 posts per week is a good starting point, and you can increase or decrease from there.   

Insider Advice:  Check in on your analytics every few months to see what content is performing best on what days and times, then adjust your posting strategy accordingly. This isn’t a one size fits all approach, and it will vary depending on many factors such as your target audience demographics, location, etc. 

3. Engage with your followers

Social media is all about engagement, and you should aim to interact with your followers as much as possible. Responding to comments and messages is a great way to show that you value your followers and their opinions. You can also use tools that social media platforms already have, such as LinkedIn polls, Instagram story quizzes, and other types of interactive content to encourage engagement. LinkedIn Lives and other live-streaming tools are another great way to interact with your audience. According to a LinkedIn Report, LinkedIn Live streams garner 24x  more comments and 7x more reactions than native video broadcasts.

4. Use visual content

It should be no surprise that visual content such as images, videos, and infographics are more engaging than plain text. Use high-quality visuals that align with your brand to grab the attention of your followers and showcase your products or services in action.

Although Instagram and TikTok are naturally more visual social media platforms, it’s important to not overlook other platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.  According to a LinkedIn report, posts containing images or media receive a comment rate that is 98% higher, while Twitter claims that people are three times more likely to engage with posts that incorporate visual content.

Insider Advice:  Blogging can be an effective tool to engage your audience and increase traffic to your website. However, it’s important to include an image with each blog post to ensure it appears on your social media feed. It’s equally important to avoid using the same image repeatedly for each blog, as this can result in a lack of variety and make your feed appear stagnant. When you’re going to post about a blog, don’t use the cover image that pulls up with the link. Instead, you have the opportunity to find a really eye-catching image that gets people to stop and read your post. Diversifying your images can help keep your feed fresh and engaging for your audience.

5. Monitor your social media accounts

Monitoring your social media accounts is essential to ensure that you respond to comments and messages promptly. By regularly monitoring social media accounts, businesses can quickly respond to customer inquiries and complaints, prevent negative sentiment from spreading, and maintain a positive brand reputation. You can use social media management tools such as Sprout Social or Hootsuite to monitor your accounts and track engagement. 

Stay Ahead of the Game with Social Listening

Social listening refers to monitoring social media channels for mentions of a brand, product, or industry-related keywords. Businesses can track customer feedback, identify emerging trends, look at themes, and gain insights into their audience’s needs and preferences. By leveraging social listening, businesses can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to better meet the needs of their customers.

6. Avoid controversial topics

Social media is a public platform; therefore, what you post can be seen by anyone. Avoid controversial topics that could offend your followers or potential customers. Stick to those related to your business or industry, and keep your messaging positive and upbeat.

7. Stay up-to-date on social media trends

Social media is constantly evolving, and it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. This can help you create more engaging content and stay ahead of your competitors. 

8. Choose the right social media platform

There are numerous social media platforms available, but which one is right for you? Each platform has its unique strengths and weaknesses, but make sure to choose the platforms that align with your business goals and target audience. For example, if you are a B2B company, LinkedIn might be more effective for your business than Instagram and Facebook. 

Insider Advice: Don’t think you need to be on every social platform that’s out there in order to be successful. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time and resources. Instead, start by choosing 2-3 platforms that you feel would work best for your business based on your target audience and go from there. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, social media can be a powerful tool for businesses if used correctly. By following these best practices, you can create a strong social media presence that engages your followers, builds your brand, and drives more traffic to your website.

Unlocking the Power of Social Media: Essential Best Practices for Your Business is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.