by Amy Hoglund
The Social Media industry changes frequently. You have to keep yourself updated with industry news in order to keep up. This leaves busy small business owners scrambling to keep up. That’s where we come in! Here are a few common questions we receive often, with answers to help you have a better understanding of the industry.
What Social Media Platforms Should I Be on to Build a Base Following?
Depending on the type of business you own- this can vary. There are a plethora of social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, just to name a few. The most popular channels are Facebook and Twitter. It’s good to start off with those if you’re just getting started.
One thing to keep in mind, you want to make sure you’re keeping your brand streamlined. Users should be able to recognize it’s your business page, use the same username, logos, and colors across platforms, as much as possible.
How Do You Get People Engaged?
Now, it’s all about engagement. How do you increase engagement on your page? Your social media channels are a great platform for feedback and interaction. Thinking about releasing a new product or service? You have the opportunity to directly ask your followers (also brand advocates) about what they are looking for.
You can:
- Create polls
- Share fun industry related trivia
- Run great contests
- Post about current events
- Encourage user generated content
The ideas are endless! Think outside the box- if you’re working with someone who manages your social media they will be able to generate ideas with you!
I Want to Use Social Media, but I’m Afraid of Negative Feedback. What Are the Best Practices?
As a business owner, you know you can’t please everyone. You can try your hardest, but there will always be that one person who honestly can’t be satisfied. Don’t beat yourself up over these. Having some negative feedback gives your business more credibility. People understand nobody’s perfect. If you receive a bad review, show you care what others are saying about your business. Do some damage control by responding.
Social Media is HUGE for online reviews. Don’t miss out on the referral traffic just because you might receive a bad review. Now, if you’re getting a ton of negative feedback, it may be time to look into a reoccurring problem and fix the underlying issue.
Related: What To Do When You Get A Bad Review
What Type of Posts Work Best?
Human beings are visual creatures. Knowing this, it’s not surprising to know posts with pictures outperform those that don’t have pictures. However, stay away from stock photos or just sharing your logo (that gets old fast).
Minimal text performs better (see graph to the right), so keep it short. Posts with 80 characters or less received 66% higher engagement.
Something to keep in mind, a successful post is one that supports the attainment of your overall business goal. Even if a ton of people didn’t “like” the post, they may have seen the post, gone to your service page, and become a client!
Content Should be 80% Industry Related and 20% Product (or service) Related– is This True?
Yes, ditch the sales pitch. Although you may find it difficult to post different content than what you’re trying to sell, you must keep your audience in mind. The reason people are on social media is to stay “social” with friends, family, and their favorite brands. No one wants to go and get bombarded with sales-y content; that’s an easy way to lose followers. Share content related to your industry that they may learn from or something that speaks to their needs!
Have more questions? Get started on your social media campaign today!
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