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Planning for success
Often creating spur of the moment posts can have a level of success. Other established companies approach things a little differently. What are their secrets to success? Planning. When you have an effective plan your social presence is on the path to success. Preparing a forecast in advance, either by month or quarter, allows you to engage frequently with your audiences.Choosing the right platforms
With so many social platforms it is hard to decide which to use. So which is the right one for your business? There is no simple answer as your business model needs to be considered. The goal when choosing the social platform(s) is to identify where your target audiences are. A restaurant with families as its target audience is less likely to benefit from using LinkedIn. Whereas they use other platforms such as Facebook or X Corp (formerly Twitter) may help them connect more with their target audiences.
Check out Hootsuite’s article as they discuss How to find and Target Your Social Media Audience.
Know and expand your audience
Socialize and engage
Social Media allows people to express themselves which could have different purposes… Based on their experiences they could choose to share their positive or negative feedback. Engaging with both the good and the bad is important not only for your business but the future business opportunities. Some may wonder ‘why should I keep the bad comments’? Responding to both the positive and negative comments shows people you care. If someone has a bad experience, showing you are trying to give customer support speaks volumes to the next person building trust in a brand.
Keep up with the trends
Having out-of-date visuals and copy gives the impression of a business that is dated. This may give audiences a negative view, which leads to individuals comparing companies going with the one that better fits their needs. So what should you do? Firstly, a complete revamp is not needed. Don’t delete outdated posts as this showcases your business history. Rather, keeping up with trends applies to both the visual and copy of your Social Media posts. Make sure to stand out true to your brand, and stand out as unique.
Sell your products online
Using Facebook as an example supports the showcasing and selling of products online. Are you making the best use of platforms that support promoting and selling your products or services? If not, be sure to speak with a developer who can help you make things easier to promote and sell your products or services.
Quality is better than quantity
As you look at business social accounts, at some point in their history you can notice a period where no posts are being done. This may be for several reasons. One reason is the burnout of pushing posts within a specific period. When you are considering your next social forecast check if you are publishing QUALITY posts. You need to give your audience a reason to return to see what is happening on your social pages. Spamming posts with little or no quality may result in you losing followers faster than you got them.
Make a schedule
Day-to-day operations may take a turn for the unexpected. What then can you do to lighten the load as you focus on the unexpected? Facebook Business and other external social management systems allow you to schedule posts well in advance. This is a great way to make sure your approved posts go out on time every time.
Review your analytics
Reviewing your analytics is essential when trying to reach your target audiences. I had the experience of dealing with a particular company needing help with their paid marketing. One of the issues the analytics revealed was the marketing campaign targeting areas outside the service area. Analytics can reveal more about your audience demographics. This collectively can be used not only on your social posts but also on your other marketing material.
Consult a Social Media specialist
A point I put out to my clients is to put me to the test on the services I offer. The purpose is to reassure them that they getting the quality of services they need. If your service provider is not able to address your concerns and does not provide solutions, then it is recommended to change service providers. Having the right specialist results in the overall success and growth of businesses.