Olivier Choron
Social media, as we all know can be extremely valuable when you use it effectively. The space has changed dramatically over the course of 10 years, but have you changed with it? Isn’t it about time you took charge and injected a new lease of life into your social media marketing approach.
Which social networks should I focus on?
But first let me start by asking you…What do you use social media for? Is it to attract a B2B or a B2C audience? This may alter which social networks you pay special attention to. I mainly focus my attention on Twitter and LinkedIn, however if I was in the B2C space I may favour Facebook or Pinterest. You know which receives the best engagement so my first piece of advice is…
TIP 1: FOCUS ON A MAXIMUM OF THREE SOCIAL NETWORKS AT A TIME
Everyone needs a goal
So it’s okay to keep plodding along, but do you really know how you are performing on social media? Only when you realise how you are performing, can you set an achievable goal. Not only is it rewarding when you achieve it, but it also helps you plan the steps you must take to reach it.. Plus it encourages you to regularly keep track of your performance. These are all actions that should occur on at least a weekly basis, so you can make changes where necessary. Hence in a nutshell…
TIP 2: SET AN ACHIEVABLE GOAL TO REACH
Being visual makes you stand out
Why not take it one step further. As we all know images can say 1000 words, but what about videos? They are a great way to truly engage your audience. And what’s more they can easily be measured, with networks such as Facebook clearly listing how many views each video has. They don’t need to be long, but they will make you stand out. Be aware though as viewing three seconds of a video on Facebook is counted as a view whereas on YouTube it’s around thirty seconds. So be different…
TIP 3: IMAGERY: GO ONE STEP FURTHER – CREATE A VIDEO
Don’t just share your own content
I read an interesting article this week that talked about the 5:3:2 rule. This basically means that if you post 10 times a week to social media, five of them should be content from others, three posts should be content that you have created, and two posts should be something a bit personal, something to humanise your social networks.
I think this is a really good strategy to apply as it will generate a wide variety of content to be shared. You can’t be arrogant and think your customers only want to hear about your content. Instead think about complementary topics that may be of interest to them. For me, I try and include posts about, for example, updates to social networks, email marketing, channel marketing news, etc. That way you are adding value to your connections/ followers/ friends. Remember…
TIP 4: VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
Ignorance is bliss
Come on now, no-one knows everything, and you can’t pretend to do so either. Rather than talking and sharing a little bit about everything, focus on a few chosen topics, and become a recognised thought leader for that subject area. It also means that if someone asks you a question or comments on a post that you shared, from your experience you can advise and answer accordingly. Be honest and…
TIP 5: DON’T PRETEND TO KNOW IT ALL
Social is in the title for a reason
I know this may sound obvious to some but socialising and communicating on social media is what it is all about. Ensure you adopt common social media etiquette such as thanking networkers for following/ connecting with you. You never know this may even spark up a conversation, and lead to a pipeline being achieved. Also when sharing, or retweeting someone else’s post, this is a great opportunity to interact with the creator, whether that be by saying ‘great article by John Smith’, or whether you share a thought leader comment. It’s a great way to get recognised. So my last bit of advice is…
TIP 6: THEY ARE NOT CALLED SOCIAL NETWORKS FOR NOTHING -YOU NEED TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS
Yes I know these tips may seem obvious, but if we are truly honest most of us could be doing a much better job on social media. Well now is your chance. It’s a great channel to increase your reach so take advantage of it, before you lose out to a competitor.
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