70% of the U.S. population has at least one social networking profile. (Statistica)
Social media has become firmly established as an effective way to market almost any business, but there are so many sites, tasks, profiles and publishing to manage every day, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.
The most successful social media marketers have several habits that enable them to do it all successfully. See how many you’re already doing, and add those you aren’t to your day to see what a difference they can make.
1. Know your niche
Know what the people in your niche are most interested in, and come up with content that satisfies those needs. For example, any new blogger will want to know how to format their blog, therefore, if you think like beginners and/or intermediates in your niche, you will become a magnet for them as they look for solutions to their main issues.
2. Block time on your calendar
Schedule time on your calendar each day with your social networking platforms. Twenty minutes, 2 or 3 times a day should be sufficient. Log in, look around, and interact as needed.
Don’t constantly crank out content with no thought to what’s actually happening in the account. For example, if you have a Tweet that is getting a lot of traction, don’t tweet more items that are just going to push it down the page. Instead, let it ride as long as it can.
No time? Consider outsourcing to a social media manager or assistant.
3. Leverage advertising
Even a small budget can go far with the right content on the right network. Using the example of the hot tweet above, consider turning it into a sponsored tweet. Also consider running a campaign to add more followers while the tweet is prominent, in order to give it more exposure to those interested in your niche but not connected with you yet. Learn more here.
4. Using automation
A growing number of tools will allow you to manage multiple social media accounts, with just a few clicks. Pay particular attention to publishing content during the times you are not online, for around the clock marketing. You can find recommended tools here.
5. Think engagement, not just views
Your content should have a high potential to evoke a response, such as a comment, like or share. Make your calls to action obvious to get the response you want. Learn more about Calls to Action.
Some ideas that will encourage audience engagement include:
* Poll
* Survey
* Provocative or thought-provoking question
* Sharing interesting articles and other niche-related content, and encouraging others to as well
* Creating a range of content at your site and sharing it
* Comment on a recent news item
If you get a comment, reply to it. Stuck with a troll? Don’t engage on their unprofessional level in front of the entire world, just delete their nonsense and block them.
In the post, give a clear call to action, such as “Like or share if you agree.” For more details, invite them to share more with, “Let us know what you think in the comments box below.”
6. Follow others and engage with them
See what others are doing and be helpful in all your interactions online, and people will soon be checking out your profile and starting to follow you because you look like someone worth paying attention to.
7. Connect with thought leaders
“A thought leader is an individual or firm that prospects, clients, referral sources, intermediaries and even competitors recognize as one of the foremost authorities in selected areas of specialization, resulting in its being the go-to individual or organization for said expertise.” [Source: Forbes]
Connect with the top people in your niche. You can learn from them, and you will be keeping good company, which over time may result in a range of profitable opportunities. (Learn how to identify thought leaders in your niche.)
8. Track your results
See how many engagements you get from each platform. If driving traffic to your site is your goal, you may want to create a unique URL for each network campaign so you can track the results quickly. (You can find 50 tools to track your ROI here.)
Bonus Tip
Are you still overwhelmed and feeling you will never get a grip on social media marketing? The great news is you don’t have to do it all yourself! If you’ve decided you can’t do it all, you can outsource your social media to a social media manager.
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