Social Media. If you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it a thousand times: social media is an important place to be and key to success. While that’s super true, it can feel overwhelming because of how many platforms there are and how many conflicting opinions on best practices exist for each one.
So, we’ve compiled a list of six things that you could do in the next two hours that can really increase your social media presence and savvy.
Reserve Your Name on Every Platform — Time Commitment—20 Min
Whether you want to use every social media platform now or not, it’s best to claim your brand’s name in as many places as possible. That way, if you do decide to use it, later on, it’s all set up. Also, it prevents someone else from using your brand’s name and pretending to be you. Audiences on social media love consistency across multiple platforms and it pays to make things as easy as possible for people to find you. Staking out a spot for your business early on will allow you to have consistency in your handles and branding. Here’s a site that checks the availability of the names and handles you hope to use: www.namecheckr.comEngage with Your Audience – Time Commitment—15 Min
Facebook and Instagram both have “live features.” When is the last time that you went live and showed your audience a behind-the-scenes look at what you and your team do to make your business prosper? Do you respond to every comment? People are on social media to engage with other PEOPLE. Your brand is made up of interesting people that should be showcased. Be careful to not come off as sales-y. Unless specifically asked about it, a Facebook comment is not the place to delve into price points and trying to convert people at the bottom of the funnel. Instead, focus on adding value in other ways like helpful tips. Become a resource for them. Solve their problems and recommend strategies for their personal and business lives. Take the next 15 minutes to pick up your phone and go live on your Instagram. Show your audience a project your working on. Explain to them why you do what you do, what your passions and dreams are for your business. Connect with them!Check Out the Competition —15 Min
Get out a notepad or open a doc and head over to your largest competitor’s social media pages. Choose at least three. Write down your first impressions. What are they doing that’s getting engagement? Which networks do they use? What do you want to copy? (e.g., are they using more video? Do they use software to put text over their pictures? Are they showcasing content sent in by their customers?)Set Up Ads—20 Min
Content like blogs and videos are great to put a small ads budget behind because of how much traction they gain. For example, let’s say you are a DJ and wrote a blog titled, “The 39 Best Dance Songs This Month.” Or, if you are in the health sphere such as yoga or personal training, you could write something like, “The 11 Best Foods to Eat Before, During, and After a Workout.” You can boost that on Facebook for as little as $5 and reach a thousand people that you may not have reached otherwise. Have questions about running ads? Here’s a super helpful video that will have you running Facebook ads like a pro in less than 15 minutes. The best part about boosting content is that you come across as helpful instead of just trying to sell something. This will also help establish your brand as a trusted thought leader in your industry.Fully Fill Out Your Profiles— 20 Min
Check out all of your profiles and make sure that the about and bio section on each one is filled out and up-to-date. This is a huge part of how people find you on search engines and the platforms themselves. Facebook has a large “About” section for any business page that will help you rank in Facebook’s algorithm when people are searching for you. Instagram allows you to write a bio that should be short, sweet, and very informative. If you haven’t made your Instagram account a “business account” yet, you should do it now. Making your Instagram a “business account” allows you to put a link, hashtags and your user handle in your bio. Twitter gives you a 160 character bio to wow your audience so choose your words carefully and remember to have fun with it.Set Up a Social Media Plan (Determine and Track your Goals)— 30 Min
Following a social media plan is a great idea to make sure your posts are consistent and that they are achieving the results that you want. So, how do you make a quick social media plan? Follow these simple steps and you’ll have a basic plan in no time.1. Choose which platforms work best for you
- Different platforms are better for different demographics. The safest bet is Facebook. Almost everyone is on Facebook.
- How will you engage with people on different platforms?
2. Figure out your voice
- How do you want people to feel when they see your content? Awe? Intrigue? Entertained?
- What will your posts say about your brand? Is your brand a snarky millennial, a caring grandmother, a quirky friend, etc.? Define your voice as specifically as possible so that way if you start to lose sight of it you can read it again and get back on track.
3. When and how often to post
- The first rule of posting on any social media platform is if users can’t get enough of your content then you probably can’t post too often.
- Since your audience is unique to your business, it’s best to experiment with posting at different times of the day and then comparing engagement. Across most platforms, it’s best to post after 5 p.m. when people are getting off of work and around 8 a.m. when people wake up.
- Here’s a guideline of how often you should post:
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- Facebook: 8-15/week
- IG: 5-10/week
- Twitter: 21-70/week
- LinkedIn: 8-15/week
- Pinterest: 35-70/week
- Snapchat: 5-20/week
