Get familiar with all the rules of the network you’re posting on. Each platform has its own distinct rules. Many will be in common, but there are variations. Put in a little time to review them so you can be sure you are following them at all times. Once you learn the written and official rules, keep an eye out for any particular ‘unwritten’ rules you ought to know about.
Do this simply by observing things for a while, or just ask your colleagues questions. For instance, LinkedIn is all about business, all of the time. That’s not a place for socializing or sharing personal information.
On the other hand, Facebook truly embraces the ‘social’ in social media. Even if you’re on Facebook with the intention of business marketing, your personality can be shared there. In fact, you should. Facebook users like getting to know the person behind the brand.
Proofread your work. An occasional typo isn’t going to kill you, but consistent typos, grammar errors, and poorly spelled words will kill your credibility. Sadly, it’s not always possible (or advisable) to get your posts proofread by someone else. Reading your own writing out loud is a good way to check yourself. You might be astounded to see just how many typos get found this way.
In your posts, follow the 60/20/20 rule. 60 percent of your content should be information that is useful and helpful to readers, such as links or tips. 20 percent can be in support of friends or followers, such as liking their posts, sharing their content, or just commenting on their page. 20 percent should be self-promotion highlighting your products, services, or value.
As much as you can, include one of your branded images. Facebook photos get more than 50 percent more likes compared to typical posts, and they also get almost double the amount of link clicks.
Are you wondering what a branded image is? They can be as simple as having your business name on an image. Doing this not only builds up your brand but also makes sure that your imagery is credited specifically to you when it gets shared without any backlinks to you.
Utilize video content. Videos almost doubles the understanding consumers have of your services and products. Producing a Hollywood-level blockbuster isn’t necessary.
In fact, it’s better to keep things short, sweet, and to the point, because you’re going to lose almost half your viewers after the first minute. You’ll lose almost two-thirds by the following minute. Get your specific message across promptly before people click away.
See: How to properly re-use video content across different social media platforms
Stay consistent. Put together a posting schedule, and then stick with it. Decide how you much you ought to post, and also how much might be considered just too much. It might be frustrating to hear this, but the answer is it really depends. Not every platform or audience has the same posting rate of success. Trial and error and learning from your audience is critical here.
Use data analytics to monitor your efforts just as was done here in this post from Harnham.
In fact, posting too often can mean losing followers. Consistency truly is key.
For instance, if you schedule your Facebook posts for noon every day, your followers will start expecting posts at that time. When your schedule gets wild, they might start losing interest and only witness your content when you wind up happening near the top of their various timelines.
Ask and answer questions, make comments, hit like buttons, and share things. It’s social media, so be social. Support your fans and friends. Do be mindful of what others might be posting. Ask any questions you have about it. Comment on entries about topics you might have contributions to share. Also, never forget to share and like the content of others.
Keep your posts varied. Different kinds of content are going to prove appealing to different folks. Videos are undeniably powerful. Just look at the popularity of Periscope and Blab to see this.
Make use of hashtags. These are good ways for social media consumers to tag posts using keywords, meaning they’re easier to be searched for as social networks organize them. Don’t overdo it though, no more than four. Have you ever read any post that looked like it was 80 percent hashtags? You’re not the only one that finds these annoying.