8 Commonly Overlooked Ways to Make Social Media Work For You

Derek Miller — December 29, 2016

Are you getting the most out of social media?

We’ll safely assume that you and your business are using social media. You probably have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google Plus accounts. Maybe you post content daily to all of your accounts. But are you making the most out of them, and are you reaping the benefits?

Discover the following eight commonly overlooked ways to make social media work for you.

Choose platforms wisely

Even though multiple social media platforms exist, you don’t have to have an account for each one. Instead, think through your choices and choose the ones that make the most sense for the brand you are trying to promote.

For example, if you are promoting artwork, Pinterest and Instagram are must-have accounts. However, if you are promoting computer services, you would be better off using Twitter or Facebook. Additionally, if you focus on a few accounts instead of multiple accounts, you are more likely to post regularly, keeping your content fresh and up-to-date for your readers.

Use graphics

Research shows that images draw emotion. Why is emotion important? Since emotions are what attract people’s attention to one business over another, you can use emotion to best promote your business.

When you make an emotional connection, you are more likely to get viewers to digest the rest of your content or buy the products you are trying to sell. Use graphics, images, and videos to appeal to your readers, and watch your social media ratings soar.

Create effective headlines

Before people click on a post, you have to get their attention. How do you get their attention? Try writing effective headlines. Headlines need to grab readers’ attentions. Ask a question, make a shocking statement, or state your topic in a way that piques interest.

You also need to give enough information so that readers know what they are going to discover. If your headline reads, “You’re Missing Out,” will readers know what you are talking about? Instead, title your headline “You’re Missing Out: 5 Ways to Improve Your Google Search Rating.” Gain the interest of all readers looking to improve their website search rankings.

Don’t oversell

Social media is a fantastic tool to grow your business and showcase your brand. However, too much selling is off-putting to many people. Unfortunately, when you have a goal of promoting or selling your brand, you can easily want to push your products and oversell your audience. Instead, focus on providing tips or information your shoppers appreciate and sparsely mix in your goods and services to attract more customers and long-term viewership.

Develop specific content for each platform

As an individual, you can get away with sharing the same post or comment on all of your social media sites, but as a business owner, this practice won’t work.

For you, a business owner, to be productive and gain the trust and loyalty of social media followers, you need to post platform-specific content to all of your accounts. By creating distinctive content, you prevent readers from getting bored and promote connection through your business presence on all social media platforms.

Show your personality

How do you stand out from your competitors? You show your personality. No matter what you are selling or what services you offer, your distinction comes from who you are. Your posts need to reflect your ideas, your thoughts, and your feelings.

All of these techniques show consumers who you are and what’s behind your brand. They provide more ways for readers to connect with you. Again, feelings are incredibly powerful, and when readers feel like they know you and relate to you, they are more likely to buy products from you or return to you for a service.

Don’t post old news

No one wants to hear old news over and over. In fact, your audience members want to be the ones who say to their friends, “Did you hear…?” When deciding what to post, do you best to share new information or a new twist on something old. Give readers something new to share; don’t simply reshare (January 12, 2017)’s news.

Ask questions

Social media is interactive, and this interactivity is one of the reasons people love using social media so much. When you use social media for business purposes, you need to keep this point in mind and find ways to interact with your customers. An excellent way to create this interaction is by adding questions to the end of your posts or by tweeting questions tied to your posts. Invite your viewers to engage in conversation and share their thoughts and comments to create a relationship with them.

Using social media to promote your business is a wise idea. Be sure you incorporate the above eight overlooked ways into your promotion plans to make social media work for you so that you don’t miss out on the benefits to your business.

(13)