Social media platforms are growing by the day, as 57% of the global population are active online. On average, individuals have at least 7.6 social media accounts, and spend 2h 22 minutes on social media every day! It’s mindblowing how important social media has become to us.
For those of you business owners, here are some tips on how you can leverage on the power of social media.
1. Knowing Competitors
Yes, you may have performed your SWOT analysis, but do you know your competitor’s online presence well? In any business, it is important to be updated of your competitors’ activity. I’d highly encourage you to try out tip is Facebook’s Pages to compare competitors’ activity, engagement, and audience growth to your own. Also, learn from the largest leaders what has been tried and tested, as well as what has proven to be effective or useless, so that you can better map out your social media strategy!
2. Selecting Suitable Social Media Platforms
Wait.. what?! Isn’t social media platforms for all to use? Yes it is, but I strongly encourage you to not hoard as many social media accounts. Here is a matter of quality over quantity. Although you may be able to reach a wider audience through having more accounts, it is more important to focus on the few social media accounts that are the most important (social media platforms preferred by your customers).
Based on your skills and preference, select a few that you can work with.
For instance, if you are talented in blogging, go on to platforms such as Medium and Instagram. For those of you who are more vocal, Youtube and Facebook Live is a great platform for you to be heard!
3. Automating Social Media Posts
Did you know you can schedule your articles? To prevent a massive information blast, I usually schedule my Wordpress blogposts, so that my followers can read and appreciate them, before the next one comes out. It also creates a sense of anticipation for the next article to be out, just like how you look forward to the next episode of your favourite web series.
4. Simplifying Content Creation
Content creation is important, and it helps you to distinguish from the rest. There are some tools that can assist you in creating content.
For example, Inoreader will help you find relevant content and keep up with your favorite information sources. The tool allows you to save web pages for viewing later, and subscribe to social feeds.
To enhance your photos and videos, you can use platforms like Canva and VSCO, and Photoshop. Ensure you create attention grabbing thumbnails and posters before posting them. I personally love using Canva because there are existing templates and I can customise it very easily, and it’s pretty much intuitive for any kind of user. Their wide assortment of templates such as posters, resume, YouTube thumbnail, is a bonus! (I don’t have to keep jumping across different design software, AND there is the auto-save function which I really need!)
If you wish to schedule and post content across different social networks, Sprout Social is recommended.
5. Engaging Audience Online
“Engage rather than sell … Work as a co-creator, not a marketer.”
Tom H. C. Anderson, market researcher
Needless to say, audience must be engaged through your social media. If not, you may lose traction and have fewer supporters. As most of you may have multiple social accounts, Buffer Reply is a great choice. All the social conversations are in one place, and you can respond to them from the same tool’s interface. Whether you receive good reviews or negative remarks, do reply to all comments.
Another tip if you are using Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram, is to go live! Livestreaming is very popular these days, and 87% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool! Live video is more appealing to brand audiences: 80% would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts.
One of the most popular livestream videos are the type of Q&A (Question and Answer) videos, as it shows more of a personal bond between the person and/or business, to the person watching the video.
All in all, there is no specific concoction of social media platforms that makes the best social media strategy. You simply have to try the various platforms available for you, and find what works best!
For our full article on how the 5 AMAZING Social Media Tips, check it out here!
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