There are hundreds of “best practices” and tips for managing your business’ social media pages. We can name them all, and you will be left in a state of information overload.
Instead, we are going to give you a short list of “bottom lines.” If you find yourself wondering if you are doing things right, you can refer to the three most important keys to having a functional social media presence. If your pages are doing these three things, you are on a good path.
#1: You are consistently posting.
You have probably heard “consistency is key” a million times in your life. Well, this phrase applies to social media, too.
Don’t go on a six-month hiatus from posting to your social media and then come back and post three things in one day. Also, do not post several updates in a day unless you are a news outlet or a sports team and your pages are meant to inform about events. Otherwise, this is how you lose valuable followers and lose credibility.
Even if you are going to only post once a week (we recommend posting more than that, but it’s something), stick to that schedule and pick a day you will be doing this.
By posting consistently, your followers will know what to expect. But most importantly, Facebook will begin to favor your posts more and show them on more users’ feeds. Facebook, and now other platforms, favor posts with higher engagement (likes, shares, reactions, and comments) and your engagement will continue to increase as you post consistently.
#2: You are connecting with your target audience.
Who is your demographic and where are they spending their time online? Friendly reminder, you do NOT have to be on every social media platform. If you are not reaching potential customers, you are wasting valuable time.
Choose wisely which platforms make the most sense to put effort towards within your online marketing strategy. (link to a guide about this?) Also, consider the time of day your audience is on these platforms.
Post content that answers the questions people come to you with. What problem does your business solve? What reason do people have to follow you? When you begin to post with your target audience in mind, creating content becomes a lot easier and a lot more meaningful.
#3: You are engaging with your followers.
Don’t neglect the people who clicked that “like” button, or are simply visiting your page. Either respond to them, follow them back, or like their posts. In an age where we are inundated with bots, show your followers you are human.
This is how you build relationships, turn followers into customers, and establish trust in your brand.
Finally, create content that engages your followers. Ask them questions. Post questions that start a conversation and respond to the comments on that post. Remember, getting that engagement up leads to a successful page. Spend an equal amount of time doing community engagement as you do drafting social media content.
Schedule a social media audit with Backcourt Marketing to get your pages where they need to be.
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