Take a quick look around you next time you are out and about. Chances are the majority of the people you see have a smartphone out and probably are using it as you look. Aside from calling and texting, scrolling through social media news feeds is a prevalent use of smartphones. Social media has provided us with ways to stay connected with our family and friends anywhere in the world. It has become a place to post pictures of ourselves in our daily lives, view and comment on the posts others share, and stay current with trends, news and other updates. Businesses are using social media to connect with and stay connected with current and potential customers. When used appropriately, social media can be very advantageous for a business. Here are some tricks for utilizing social media properly.
1. High Quality
Creating high-quality posts is essential rather than putting up poorly crafted or low-quality content. Your followers want to learn something or benefit from your posts, so offer helpful tips, educational information, tutorial videos or links to relevant blog articles. Special offers, new releases, product information and deals are other great ideas for posts. Always spell-check your content and ensure it is free of grammatical errors.
The picture or graphic accompanying your post should be a quality photo, too. The picture is often the first to catch a follower’s eye as they scroll through their news feed. Choose images that will cause people to slow their scrolling. For example, a photo of a stunning sunset over the ocean will be more successful at promoting luxurious 5 day cruises than a blurry, low-quality picture of a beach chair.
2. Post Regularly
You don’t have to post every day if it seems too overwhelming, but it is crucial to post regularly. Try implementing a schedule, perhaps two or three days per week to start. You can experiment with different days of the week and times of the day to post, seeing which gets you the most feedback from your followers. Life can get busy, so having a social media schedule can remind you to post regularly. You can even stay ahead of the game by stocking up on pictures and content for the coming weeks to make posting quicker and easier.
3. Interact
In between your posts, be sure to interact with your customers or potential customers. Respond professionally to comments on your post. It’s okay to add personalization or humor to your comments. If someone asks a question, answer it accurately, thoroughly and promptly. Be sure to include your company’s contact information, including email address, phone number, physical address and website, across your social media pages.
4. Increase Traffic
The goal of any business page is to increase the traffic flow to spread the word about the company and its products or services. You could post a contest, encouraging your followers to tag one or more of their friends who would like your product to get an entry into the giveaway. Sharing and tagging customers in any posts they may make about your company or product can be helpful. Using trending and relevant hashtags for each post can also help bring new traffic to your page.
5. Ignore Negativity
There will always be negativity on social media. If people leave rude comments, do not get into a commenting war. Instead, either ignore the comments altogether or provide a short, professional reply if it is a comment you feel you need to address. If a customer comments about an issue with your product or service, you may decide to respond with information for customer service or a link on how to fix whatever problem the customer is experiencing.
Remember that no matter how great your business is, there will always be someone who can find negativity. Try your best to ignore the negativity.
Focus on quality over quantity, always. Social media can be an exceptional marketing tool for businesses when used effectively. However, make sure you are posting enough to keep your followers engaged. Lastly, remember to offer high-quality and helpful pieces that your clients want to see and prompt them to share your posts to increase your traffic.
