Up Your Social Media Game

If you are a business owner then it’s impossible to ignore the impact social media could have on your business. If you aren’t aware of this then you need to get acquainted fast as you could be missing out on potential new business. If you already spend money on advertising in say magazines, local papers or radio stations then it’s worth investing some of that budget into an online social media campaign.

Whilst it’s not the most complicated task to carry out, social media marketing does require you to work in a certain way so you encourage and entice people to read your posts, view your site and more. Here at Dorset Tech we know a thing or two about social media marketing so we thought we’d put a little brief together to educate you on the basics. Should you require more help and advice or even want us to manage your social media marketing then please feel free to get in touch anytime.

Don’t Over Post

This is one of the most important things to remember. Resist the temptation to just post for the sake of it. People will quickly get bored if you just post anything and everything.  Once or twice a day is enough for most standard accounts. Obviously there are exceptions to this but this all depends on what industry you are in.

Keep It Simple

People quickly read through social media content. Usually whilst grabbing 5 minutes at work etc. So keep posts short and informative. There is a reason Twitter limits character lengths. Short and snappy posts will always be read more then long ones. If you are posting links to somewhere else then keep your post short but explain the links content.  People browse social media they don’t tend to visit to read.

Encourage Participation

People love a good debate so every now and then encourage a debate. Post an open ended question. Ask for opinions. Post choice questions, maybe even a poll. Keep it simple though and fun if possible.

Variety Is Good

Don’t just post about your business or industry.  Add variety to your posts, maybe some humour.  Some posts can be images if you feel people would be interested. For example here at Dorset Tech we post about web design, general tech talk, geeky stuff too. We like to keep it varied and not all sales or business related.

Use Hashtags

Always include hashtags in your posts. Not too many though. We see some with 5/6 hashtags used which is too many. Always use the most relevant ones and try use keywords that people are searching for. See what’s trending maybe as you may be able to use these if they are relevant to your business. Don’t use popular hashtags for the sake of it to get traffic as it won’t convert if the wrong traffic. 2 or 3 hashtags is normally enough. Avoid long silly ones too like #hereismysitecomevisit etc. 1 or 2 keyword phrases are usually enough for a hashtag.

Use Humour

For many they see social media as a form of escapism. A place to go to get away from the rigours of the day. For this reason alone always try keep humour involved, even in the lightest format.  It’s a good idea to every now and then post some humorous posts also, just don’t post any offensive topics. If there are trending topics which are funny then try get involved and use hashtags.

Run Competitions

If you are a business or retail outfit then every now and then run competitions. For example if you own a Lodge in the country, run a share and like competition for one night s stay as a prize. You’ll be amazed at how quickly it will grow. People love a freebie and it’s so easy to like and share on social media that people will get involved. If you a retail outfit then you can do the same with a prize instead.

Use Analytics

Make use of the various free tools to give you feedback on people interaction with your posts. This way you can see what works, what people like and what doesn’t work.  Most platforms give you access to free stats but you can also buy paid platforms too if you really want to get into the finer details of the activity your posts are generating.

Pay Attention to Trends

Keep an eye on what is trending, maybe there is something relevant to your business. For example if you make cakes there was a huge trending story recently about 2 rival big chains falling out over a chocolate caterpillar cake. This then became an online social media viral hit with some very funny posts back and forth.

Use Visuals

Images can say a thousands words in a split second, they are perfect for social media, hence why Instagram is so popular and growing all the time. People love looking at other peoples photos and images. You don’t have to post images with every post but it does help, as long as its relevant.