Social media is a powerful tool that is interconnected in peoples’ daily lives. Throughout this decade, the market has expanded new and innovate methods to inform and engage end users. In the two previous articles, I briefly touched on the importance of social media; this piece will expand upon those thoughts to help you optimize your social media ranking.
1: Understanding Social Media Platforms
The first question you should ask yourself is: “what social media outlets will best attract my audience?” If you believe that all platforms are similar, then that is your first problem; it would be parallel to thinking that all cars operate identically. If you have trouble differentiating the business benefits offered by each platform – No problem, we are here to save you some time…
Pinterest
Predominately female-oriented [44%] and upper-middle class income, Pinterest is great for networking with consumers who are interested in baking/cooking, travel, home decorating, and/or event-related pictures. Pinboards primarily are not used to display the user or the company’s logo, but rather the service or product they provide, while pinning ideas, products, or services that correlate with their business.
This site enables companies to interact with consumers, by pinning their image onto their own board; encouraging potential shoppers to return the favor by pinning your content onto their board and granting them the opportunity to directly notice your content. Pinterest is great for up-and-coming businesses that thrive on connecting with customers on a more personal and emotional level.
Instagram
If your business is apparel, food or gossip/celebrity related, then this is a great resource for your businesses. Users on Instagram are more inclined to receive likes and shares, since Instagram’s features are extremely mobile and user-friendly. In the previous article, I mentioned the importance of a blog page. If blogging is your main focus, then this would not be an appropriate outlet to use. Unless you sparingly mention your blog page with an engaging picture and link, end users [55% range from 18-29 years old] are interested in engaging pictures that speak to their emotions [32% live in an urban area], inspiring them to visit your website to make a purchase.
Twitter
Does your business love to post short bursts of information? Great! Twitter excels in producing mass amounts of data, due to its 140 character limit. Are you worried that your posts will be lost under a pile? Well, there is some good news! Over time, you will be added into groups by random users. Ordinarily, an admin of a group page will add users that have posted hashtags that resemble their group’s interest. Every time you post or retweet content that is identical to their hashtags, your post will be displayed on the group’s newsfeed. This is a tremendous opportunity to reach new people; you want to be included in as many group pages as possible! Twitter is your go-to for reaching consumers in real-time, since followers regularly check their Twitter feed for businesses and high-profile accounts.
Facebook
A benefit of Facebook is that content typically endures longer than other platforms, but the downside is that it is more challenging to connect with strangers, compared to Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn; businesses utilize Facebook to share lengthy posts that require more time commitment for end users, due to not having a character limit.
If you are seeking to attain thousands of likes and additional engagement on your company’s Facebook page and posts, then you need to reach out to your Facebook friends and ask them if they could like and share your content with their friends. Word will spread, which eventually leads to numerous followers.
2: Investigate New Trends and Magnify their Potential
Are you an adventurer? A sure-fire strategy to boost your social media presence is to search for promising social media outlets – Periscope, Quora, Goodreads – that are on the verge of popularity, and link with users before it explodes; enabling you to establish your brand and following before other competitors. Also, stay informed on the newest updates from current social media outlets. Did you know that Facebook has a new and improved feature called Insights? This option permits users to track when their fans are online…
Are you trying to sell products to youth? Did you know that 13 -17 year olds are leaving Facebook and reaching out to alternative sites? Trying to sell merchandise to senior citizens? They are the largest growing demographic on Facebook! Always remain current on demographic shifts to maximize your profits.
3: Watch the Time!
Time is the biggest factor when optimizing your social media performance. Knowing when your audience will be awake and using a particular social media outlet is key to unlocking your company’s capacity. Are your customers mainly overseas? Understanding their time zone and season cycle is critical for effectively selling merchandise. If you are in the business of selling clothes, you want to avoid marketing content for fur coats during the winter, if it is spring or summer where your clients reside.
Did you know that each social media platform varies in activity levels throughout the day? Twitter is more engaged on Mondays and Tuesdays, compared to Facebook. Acting accordingly to when your followers will be active promotes you to rapidly succeed.
Signify Studio
Are you ready to jump-start your business? No problem, here at Signify Studio we address every client’s needs by tailoring innovative solutions – SEO, SEM, branding, content, marketing, graphic design – to suit each customer. Our small Web & Graphic Design business grants us the ability to empower other small and local businesses in the Tampa Bay area. Feel free to contact us for a free consultation today.