You’ve got an account for your business on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or one of the many other social media networks (if you missed our previous post reviewing the main platforms, click here to catch up). What do you do now?
Social media takes a significant investment of time and effort so you want to make sure you’re on the right track. To help you along, here are our top tips on producing effective, engaging content.
Set your goals
As with anything you do in business, set your goals before you launch into the world of social media. Sit down with your key stakeholders and decide what you really want to achieve with a social media presence. Do you want to boost sales? Build a loyal community? Find more prospects?
Don’t try to be everywhere
We’ve said it before and we will say it again. It is unlikely you can be on all social media networks effectively. Choose one or two that fit best for you and do your best to be outstanding on these. If you need an overview of the main social media networks, click here to see our previous post.
Take a long, hard look at your content
What kind of narrative do you want to tell about your business? How are you going to tell your stories? Videos? Blogs? Podcasts? Think about the kind of people you want to engage and what sort of interactions you want to have with customers and prospects. These questions will help shape your content and ensure you stay on track.
Consider the time investment
Different networks also require different time investments – Twitter users expect much more frequent posts than Facebook users, so make sure you have the time and content to be effective on your chosen social media platform.
Make time for Play
You can’t be expected to know everything about your chosen social media network as soon as you start. Make sure you schedule in some time to get familiar with the way your chosen channel works and what it can offer you. Don’t be afraid to play and experiment.
Be realistic
Social media should be viewed as a two way communication with your audience no matter what network you have chosen – be realistic about the amount of interaction you are willing and able to participate in. In addition to posting your content, you also need to interact with your audience – make sure you respond to comments in a timely manner and address any questions that come up. Social media doesn’t work if it is a one way street. You need to interact and participate in conversations in order for this to work for both you and your customers.
If this all sounds a bit too overwhelming or you are too busy working in your business to work on your business, an experienced marketing consultant could be the answer for you. Get in touch with us here to find out how Energise can help you.
