You can improve the effectiveness of your social media marketing in the new year without gluing yourself to the keyboard. Here are steps you can take that will help you work smarter, not harder in 2016. Pin these social media resolutions to your idea board now, and revisit them often. Unlike most New Year’s resolutions, these are easy to keep.
1. Maintain a messaging guide. You wouldn’t travel to another city without Google Maps, why would you manage a social media campaign without clear direction? Get your key messages down on paper. Rotate your promotional posts through these messages. Note, I said promotional posts (see resolution number two).
2. Be more social. Start the year by reviewing your previous social media posts. What’s the reason behind each message? It’s easy to fall into the ‘sales trap’, where every post is pitching your product. Make 2016 the year you become more social. At least 50 percent of your Tweets and Facebook posts should be shared content from others. We also recommend sharing your earned media coverage on social media. It’s great to have a credible third party saying something nice about your products.
3. Use the right tools. The best tools make your social media marketing more effective, without taking up valuable time. Some of my favorites include Tweriod, which helps you Tweet when your followers are online, and Hashtagify to find the perfect hashtag. I’m also a fan of BuzzSumo’s chrome extension and Google Trends.
4. Refuel your creativity frequently. Look up, way up, from your monitor once in awhile. Creative juices often start flowing when you look far beyond your typical horizon. If you sell cars, check out what’s going on in the baby food market. If you sell lawn mowers, see what’s trending in books. During our internal brainstorming sessions, creative content ideas often evolve from unusual sources.
5. Proofread everything before you post. A misplaced apostrophe or unintended meaning could damage your company’s reputation. Make sure your blog and social media posts get the once-over by an expert copy editor, or at least a well-trained second set of eyes. Software may not catch double meanings and homophones. If you absolutely must post something without a proofreader, move to another room and read your content out loud.
6. Take full advantage of your analytics. Our team uses data to increase clients’ web traffic. What are your best performing posts? Who is your top audience? Dig deep to improve your campaign. If you’re not sure where to begin, enlist a few hours of help by a web property manager.
7. Know when to get help. Social media is a quickly changing promotional channel. It takes a nimble team of creatives and techies to do it right. That’s why many companies outsource their social media marketing to us. Overwhelmed by these social media resolutions? Call us. Our team can create blog posts, videos, memes and interactive content. We can integrate your online presence with your other marketing initiatives. The result? Engaged customers who receive your message, just when they are ready to buy.
