We hope that 2012 was a fantastic year for you and your
business and that 2013 is even better. Below you will find some tips – many of
which we have mentioned in past posts – to help you start your businesses
social media year off right!
1. Standardize Naming
a.
Make sure that across all social media platforms
your business has the same name – if you have different social media accounts
for several locations, make sure each location is specified. For example,
“Susie’s Shoes” should be “Susie’s Shoes” across all social media platforms and
not “Susie’s Shoes” on one and “Susie’s Shoes Atlanta” on another. If you have
multiple locations, consider “Susie’s Shoes – Atlanta” and “Susie’s Shoes –
Birmingham.”
i. Why? The search function on both
Google, and within each social media site, will allow people to easily find
your business. Also, when they search your business they will immediately know
they have found the right one and be more likely to follow you on each of your
social media sites. This may seem very simple, however we find, more often than
not, businesses do not do this.
2. Update Consistently
a.
Now is a great time to lay out a social media
update schedule. For the larger social media platforms like Facebook and
Twitter we recommend 3-5x per week. If you are short on time, Social Media
Management Dashboards like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck are a lifesaver because they
allow you to schedule posts in advance.
i. Why? Studies, and our experience, has
found that a business who updates each social media outlet they have created in
a consistent manner is drastically more successful than those that do not
update consistently.
3. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures
a.
Make posting and updating profile pictures a
vital part of your social media strategy. Pictures can cover anything from
updates to your shop, specials offered at your restaurant, favorite clients,
new homeowners, bring your kid or your dog to work day, and new product
offerings. The sky is essentially the limit as long as you remember two things:
(1) keep photos brand relevant and (2) make sure photos are appropriate and
represent your brand in a positive way.
i. Why? Simply put, we live in a
fast-paced world where pictures can quickly convey our brands message and make
people feel connected to our brand. Studies have shown that pictures can raise
both current fans engagement and also attract new fans.
4. Keep Posts Professional
a.
In our busy world social media can be a blessing
for connecting with current customers and attracting new ones. However, when we
are in a hurry is when we also tend to make spelling and grammatical errors.
This can be detrimental to the professionalism with which a brand is
represented. If you are too busy to make sure spelling and grammatical errors
are not present in your posts, or if spelling and grammar aren’t your thing,
consider hiring a Social Media Management Company like us at Constant Raving or
allowing a trusted employee to handle posts for you.
i. Why? If people see your posts on social
media and there are misspellings, glaring grammatical errors, or more than two
exclamation points people could easily get the wrong impression about your
business.
5. Have Fun
a.
While representing your brand in a professional
manner on social media is very important, don’t forget to (at least occasionally)
have fun on social media whether it be through photos, videos, or text. Photos
are a great way to convey that element of fun to your fans – consider posting
photos of clients enjoying your brand, a family fun day your company has, or a
fun day at the office. Funny videos or photos from others that are brand
relevant can also be effective if used sparingly.
i. Why? People following your brand on
social media want to know that there are humans behind the brand. Additionally,
no matter how serious the brand is, fans like to see that people employed by
the brand like to have a little fun on occasion. Plus, people always need more
fun in their lives!
As always, these are just a few tips to get you started.
Remember that to develop a good social media strategy you need to be consistent
so, while the new year is a great time to revitalize your social media strategy,
this doesn’t mean that after January you don’t have to continue to put work
into your social media to see positive results.
Still have questions
or would like to hear some more tips? Let us know in the comments section or
contact us directly!
Also, feel free to let us know what you think of this post,
and/or what you would like to see addressed in future posts.
If you would like to set up a consultation with Constant
Raving so we can help you choose the best social media strategy for your
business, please contact us at ConstantRaving@mvoc.com
or by phone at 919.244.7503. We look forward to hearing from you!
