Retweets, Follows, and Likes, oh my! With all the different buzzwords flying around and so many networks to navigate, social media can seem like a scary world inhabited by trolls and vampires for any small business. But don’t be afraid! Social media can be one of the most powerful tools your business has in its arsenal when it comes to promotion and marketing.
From reaching out to a new customer base to increasing your company’s exposure, social media plays a huge part in any marketing plan. This Halloween season, ramp up your efforts by following this list of tricks to avoid in order to take advantage of social media’s treats.
Avoid being a Robot, just be yourself!
Halloween is a time of costumes and masks, but this should not translate to your social network. Focus on developing your company’s voice and don’t hesitate to share what it is that makes your company special. Each tweet, post, and share should all help tell your company’s story, which is what makes social media so personable and engaging. After all, you’re talking with your audience, not at them.
Remember, having an engaging tone is only half of the job! Social media is all about sharing and caring, but this doesn’t mean you should share excessively. Avoid spamming your followers with the same message over and over. This doesn’t mean you can only post about your newest blog or tweet about your latest product once. Instead, spread your posts out over the day, and don’t forget to employ the 80/20 rule: 80% of your posts should be sharing someone else’s content or tweets and only 20% of your tweets being should be about your company. Self-promotion is okay, just don’t overdo it.
You can’t be everywhere at once.
Just like trick or treating, you simply can’t get the most goodies if you spend time trying to get to every neighborhood. Instead, treat yourself to the right neighborhood, one where you’ll be able to land all of the best treats straight into your bag. Choose a few social networks that cater to the majority of your intended audience and that you can set aside enough time to properly focus on them. For instance, for B2B lead generation, LinkedIn is a better choice than Facebook and Twitter because more professionals look for information via their business contacts. If your company is more visually-focused, check out Instagram and Pinterest which allow you to share relevant images with your followers. If you’re just starting out with your social media journey, try choosing the networks that already have the most targeted prospects and the largest audiences. You can always explore and test out new networks later.
It’s also important to keep in mind that when you’re choosing which social networks to engage in, having just one social account will never be enough. Limit yourself to just one and you’re missing out on potential customers and advocates who could contribute to your growing brand.
Don’t get caught up in the “followers” game.
It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of watching your follower counts go up; almost as exciting as scoring a big haul of candy on Halloween night. But this is not the most important metric you should be paying attention to. The number of followers doesn’t always correlate to a successful social account. Stop hoarding those Likes and instead start focusing on increasing engagement through comments and shares instead!
How can you start getting people to interact with you on social media? A great way of breaking the ice is to keep your posts sweet and short, and include pictures. But the best way to start enlisting people’s help with one simple move? Just ask! Ask for their opinions, ask for input, ask them to share your posts, and ask them to comment. You might find that your audience has a lot to say!
Keep it interactive, keep it fun, and keep it social.
With these tips, you can avoid the Boogeyman and start putting social media to work for you this Halloween. Remember to have fun, be social, and above all, never stop learning. Sign up for all the workshops, classes, and courses you can manage in order to keep your knowledge flesh… I mean, fresh!
Happy Halloween everyone! We’d love to hear how your business manages their social media. Comment below with your “must-know” tips!
