You already know how important social media is for your brand, but are you using it properly? Everything from the way you interact with your followers to the posts you share will have an impact on the effectiveness of your social accounts.
Use these six social media tips to help boost your brand today.
1. Be Active, But Don't Go Overboard
Being active on your social media accounts is the key to success, but there's a fine line between being active and going overboard.
With so many automation tools out there, it's easy to schedule new updates every hour to keep your followers engaged. But for some brands, posting that often may be overkill. It may even send some of your followers running the other way.
Post when you have something meaningful to say or share. Don't just post an update for the sake of posting.
2. Offer Something of Value to Your Followers
Just as you should avoid posting an update for the sake of posting, it's also important to make sure that each post offers value to your followers. If you're using your social media accounts for the sole purpose of advertising your products or services, you're missing the point.
Most of your followers probably connected with your brand because they were interested in what you have to offer, so posting updates on sales and promotions is still important. With that said, your audience may not want see a sales pitch in their feed every time you post an update.
Try mixing in posts on your company's culture and other relevant, useful information that your audience will appreciate.
Not only will you boost engagement by doing this, but you'll also build up trust - especially if you use this opportunity to share content that positions you as a leader in the industry.
3. Don't Ignore Complaints or Issues
Social media has quickly transformed into a customer service portal. By connecting to brands online, customers can voice their concerns and complaints directly through social media. There's no need to wait on hold for a customer service representative - posting a comment takes seconds online.
And because these posts are out there for all to see, they can be damaging if they aren't addressed quickly.
Every brand will receive a complaint or two on social media at some point, but addressing that issue quickly shows that you care about your followers and their concerns. Even if the issue is minor, don't ignore followers who are posting complaints. Use this as an opportunity to show customers how your brand handles adversity.
Do you want to paint your brand as a company that sweeps issues under the rug, or one that deals with complaints in a professional, constructive way?
4. Focus On the Most Important Social Networks
To maximize your efforts, focus on the social networks that your target audience favors. If your customers aren't using Twitter but love Instagram, dedicate most of your time and attention to Instagram where you know your message will be put in front of the right people.
5. Use Social Analytics to Your Advantage
Twitter Analytics and Facebook Page Insights both provide you with insightful information on your audience, so you can determine what is and isn't working.
Pay attention to which posts are getting the most attention and shares to get a better idea of the content your audience likes to see. Use that insight to offer more posts of the same nature to keep your followers engaged and interested in your brand.
Social analytics give you an opportunity to optimize your efforts, so use them to your advantage.
6. Make Sure Your Message is Cohesive Across All Networks
Whether you focus on just two or several social networks, it's important to make sure your message is cohesive on all fronts. From the images you post to the language you use, your message should be aligned with your brand's mission and values.
Without a consistent voice and visual experience, your followers may get confused as to what your message is and who your brand is.
These six tips can help you boost your brand on social media, and you can start implementing these strategies today. Do you have any tips or tricks you use to improve user engagement on social media?