Everything You Need to Know to Fast Track Your Social Media
by Audrey Howes
You probably already know your business needs to be social, but sometimes the playing field can appear overwhelming and time consuming. We’ve taken some time to tell you about the major social media players and given you some tips to use them effectively so you can decide what will work best for your business.
1. Facebook
Facebook receives about 750 million unique visitors every month from people all over the world. Chances are, if your customers are on a social network, it’s Facebook. Creating a business page on Facebook is free and relatively easy. To get a feel for a Facebook business page, check out Swiftpage emarketing’s. While you’re there, give us a like.
Did you know: 90% of local searches say they use Facebook to find local businesses online? (source).
Facebook Tips:
- Try to post daily on your page
- Link to your blog articles, new website content or videos
- Run a special promotion or sale just for Facebook followers
- Respond quickly to Customer Service posts… both the good ones and the not so good ones.
2. Twitter
With over 500 million users and 200 million active users (source), Twitter is another important social media player. Twitter is a form of micro-blogging, allowing posts of no more than 140 characters. Businesses on Twitter engage users by providing links to interesting and relevant content, offering promotions, and providing support.
Did you know: Tweets with hashtags receive two times more engagement than those without hashtags? (source) Learn more about hashtags in this blog post.
Twitter Tips:
- Try to tweet at least once a day to stay engaged with your audience
- Engage Twitter users by providing links to interesting and relevant content, both your own unique content and other’s applicable content
- Pictures are well received on Twitter, so tweet pics from events you attend or host
- Respond quickly to any customer issues on Twitter. Try to drive them ‘offline’ as it can be hard to answer questions in 140 characters
- Try to keep your tweets even shorter than the 140 character limit to make room for retweets
3. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a network to connect professionals and businesses. It now boasts about 200 million users worldwide (source). Designed for networking, LinkedIn still gives businesses some interesting opportunities. LinkedIn is a must for businesses whose business is primarily B2B.
Did You Know: More than 2.9 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages. (source)
LinkedIn Tips:
- Create a Personal Profile AND a page for your business
- Consider using the Groups feature if you have a product or service which generates a lot of questions or conversations
- Post to your business page regularly with company updates, job openings and new content
4. Pinterest
Pinterest is now the fourth largest player in the social game. Essentially a digital corkboard or idea board, Pinterest is continuing to take the social world by storm, especially with women. If you are a retailer or have a lot of visual content, you should seriously consider getting on Pinterest.
Did You Know: Pinterest shoppers are spending significantly more per checkout averaging between $140-$180 per order compared with consistent $80 and $60 orders for Facebook and Twitter shoppers, respectively. (source)
Pinterest Tips
- Start a Pinterest account for your business. Pin visual content to your boards and repin other inspiring content
- Run a pin board contest asking your followers to pin your products onto a specific board and give away a product to a select few winners
- Use Pinterest as a focus group. See what your followers are pinning. It will give you great insight into what products and lifestyles they are interested in
5. Instagram
When Facebook bought Instagram for 1 billion dollars, we all sat up and paid attention. Instagram is a photo sharing app where users can add effects to their pictures, share them on instagram and post them to Facebook and/or Twitter. About 40 million photos are posted every day on Instagram. Much like our comment about Pinterest, if you have a lot of visual content or are a creative brand, think about using Instagram to reach more customers.
Did You Know: 28 percent of U.S. Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 use Instagram. (source)
Instagram Tips:
- Much like Twitter, create a hashtag for events or your store and ask attendees and customers to use it when taking pictures
- Post pictures of events, new products, team members, sale signage, etc
- Share your pictures on Facebook and Twitter to add to your visual content on those sites
6. YouTube
If your company produces informative or fun videos, you should have a YouTube channel. YouTube videos often appear in search engine results and can be posted or shared on websites, via email, on other social media sites, etc. Take a look at the Swiftpage YouTube channel for a better glimpse at the possibilities.
Did You Know: Over 4 billion YouTube videos are viewed per day! (source)
YouTube Tips:
- Use videos to give product tutorials, answer common questions and tell your brand’s story
- Take screenshots of videos to use in emails. Link the image to your video on YouTube
- Keep videos on the shorter side. 3-5 minutes is a great range for most internet viewers
Other Players to Consider:
7. Foursquare
In keeping with the smart phone revolution, Foursquare was developed specifically for mobile users. When users arrive at a location such as a store, restaurant, or theater, users ‘check-in’ using their phone. The more an individual check-ins at one location, they can earn badges and even become mayor of the businesses they frequent. If your business has a storefront, Foursquare is a social network worth exploring. You can read more about getting your business on Foursquare here.
8. Google +
Google+ still hasn’t caught on widely with consumers. That said, many experts say it’s important to consider getting your business on Google+ because they include Google+ results in their normal Google search results. Google+ functions quite similarly to Facebook in that your customers have personal profiles and businesses have business profiles. Google+ allows users to add people and businesses they follow to various user defined circles such as friends, family, acquaintances, etc. It is certainly worth giving Google+ consideration when deciding where to place your social media time.
9. MySpace
Many consider MySpace to be the original social networking site. While it had a heyday in the early 2000s, its user base has been slowly declining. One area where MySpace has remained strong is in the music industry. Many bands still use MySpace to promote their music. If your business has any ties to the music industry, consider getting involved on MySpace.
So there you have it! Now you are ready to pick a player or 2 and get into the Social Media game. Businesses who refuse to come out and play risk irrelevancy in the coming years. Add links to your sites to your website and emails to increase followers. And above all, have fun with it. Social media is supposed to be social!