There is some pretty detailed information on the best times to post to each social network, but following them can be pretty cumbersome. Some general guidelines are, its best not to post on evenings and weekends when people are out enjoying themselves. During the work week, in the early afternoon is usually the safest bet. When people are wishing they weren’t at work, that is when then turn to social media.
It’s important to post regularly for the exposure alone. But it’s also important to be somewhat consistent. That doesn’t mean you need to post at the exact same time everyday, but if your followers expect a post from you every morning, and then you get busy and miss a week, they might stop looking for your posts or might un-follow you all together. If you have dedicated followers interested in your feeds, they will expect consistency.
Asking questions in your posts encourages people to comment and share their thoughts. It also shows you value their opinion which creates a forum for an open dialogue.
Studies show that the most engaging types of content are photos and videos. The fact is people prefer visual content to reading text. It’s less work to get your information and much more entertaining. Photos and video can be a great tool to capture your audience’s attention and promote your products and services.
There is such a massive amount of information on the web. People are constantly bombarded with sales pitches. So you need to stop thinking about you and your business and starting thinking about how you can provide value to others. When you shift your approach and perspective, I think you’ll be pretty surprised at the response!
It’s simple… the more networks you post to the wider your reach. Want more exposure? Then branch out from your twitter and Facebook comfort zone and try Instagram, Google +, Linkedin, YouTube or others.
Posting great content regularly is important, but if you’re not responding and engaging interactions with other people and businesses your missing the point. Studies show that consumers expect a response from you within 1 hour when the reach out on social media. So it’s key to respond quickly, and also take the time to engage with other relevant people and brands that might be interested in your products or services.
Social Media behaviors clearly mimic our behaviors in day-to-day life. Who do you gravitate towards and respect in your life? Those who are optimistic and generally have a happy outlook on life, or those who are negative and complain? While it’s great to be open and express your opinions, your social posts will get more attention and positive feedback if they come from a “happy place”. Like your mom always said, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”
Hashtags allow your posts to be searchable by keyword. Choosing the right number of quality keywords is essential to broadening your reach in the social sphere. The goal is to pick keywords that are extremely relevant to your post and try to pick keywords that don’t have too much or too little search volume. You don’t want your post to get lost in a sea of other posts, and on the flip side, you also don’t want to use keywords that never get searched on.
Planning your posts ahead of time will save you scrambling at the last minute to get your post out. When you’re rushing to post, the quality of the content and hashtags usually suffer and you are more prone to making mistakes. So take the time and be proud of what you put out there!
Hope these tips were helpful, and gave you a few areas to improve. However, if you feel you don’t have the time or expertise to make your social media strategy a success, let Iconica handle it for you. We take an individualized approach to each social media client, and tailor a unique strategy that will help them achieve their online marketing goals. Let us help you stand out in the social sphere!
Stephanie Miles (Social media and digital advertising manager)