You want to get the most out of your social media efforts with the least amount of time, right? Of course you do–there’s no use trying to cram a square block into a triangle-shaped hole. So here are some strategies to make sure you’re working smarter for your social media, not harder.
Facebook is a very visual platform that welcomes comments from customers. To get fans engaged, share images, hold polls, and hold contests that allow them to share with you.
Keep text-only or link-only status updates sparse (those are better for Twitter, anyway).
Use your Facebook Insights as a guide on when to post. Their algorithm is incredibly sensitive to time data. And don’t forget how important sponsored posts are becoming! There’s a good chance you’ll need to allocate some marketing dollars for this.
Check out our blog post on using Facebook for small businesses to learn more about the best way to use Facebook.
Twitter is the place to share news and information. This is the perfect place for updates about closures, exciting new products, events, and interesting links your customers might be interested in.
Don’t worry about generating a ton of tweets by yourself: retweeting others (especially other local businesses’) is a great way to share relevant news and events with customers.
And remember the hashtags! Whether you’re using one for a campaign or participating in what’s trending, make sure to include a hashtag or two (more than that is overkill). Always remember to examine your hashtags for clarity and accidental inappropriateness.
Pinterest is an exciting platform that’s becoming more optimized for marketers every day. But that doesn’t mean you should just pin a bunch of offers.
A visually pleasing pin is a good pin. And make sure your pin (or your repin) always clicks back to an actual site, whether it’s yours or someone else’s–if someone likes the picture, they might want to know more about where it comes from or how to purchase something in it.
Contests are an underused strategy on Pinterest. Here’s a handy dos-and-don’ts contest guide from Pinterest. It may look a little restrictive, but once you get to know the platform, you’ll understand what sort of contest works for you.
Another heavily visual platform is Instagram. Brands are making more headway on the platform by playing up the local aspect and letting customers know who’s behind their brand. Using relevant hashtags and locations is one way to connect with your customers.
Another excellent way is using Instagram to promote deals and contests. Everybody likes winning stuff, right? This blog post from Wishpond details 10 interesting Instagram contest ideas, which is a great place to start.
What are you trying out? Have you found social media tactics that work well for you? Or tactics that definitely don’t work? Share them with us in the comments.
Image via CC from Flickr user EllasDad.
