We are all spending many hours a day in the digital world, with social media platforms being the centre of connection, creative expression, and discussion. Having your brand visible in the space is so important for reaching your audience and creating lasting relationships. But there’s more to it than just scheduling content; algorithms, always shifting trends, and new updates make it a tough landscape to navigate.
Here are ten things you need to know about social media to up your game.
1. Adapt, Adapt, Adapt
If there is one thing we all know about social media, it’s that it's constantly changing. It seems like a new feature is popping up every couple of months. Embrace it! Don’t be afraid to try them out and get creative. Just because your grid posts are doing well doesn’t mean it would hurt to get out of your comfort zone.
2. It’s not a one and done task
There is nothing better than batch scheduling a bunch of posts on Hootsuite and feeling super accomplished. Unfortunately, that’s just not how it works. To get the most out of your channels, you should be logging in a few, short times a day to check in and engage with your audience. Recognising your followers, answering their questions, and validating their comments will organically grow your following.
P.S. Don’t get distracted and lose time on your own explore page!
3. Quality over quantity
Even though many algorithms favour daily posters, that doesn’t mean you have to follow suit to succeed. Quality content that speaks to your audience and relates to your brand is so much more important and delivers authenticity. Play around with what works for you and also what works for your audience.
4. No two platforms are the same
What’s the difference between Twitter and Tiktok? Many users are on both, but the type of content is the differentiator. Twitter is usually a place for discussion and debate while Tiktok lends itself to creative and funny skits. Make the platforms work for you and put in the extra effort to distinguish your content. You don’t need to be on every single one.
5. Listening > planning
You may have the best ideas and a content plan already scheduled for the next few months, but your followers are still in charge of the show. Make sure to listen to what they want and what they respond to most. Your audience should not only inform your content decisions but can also help you in creating it! User-generated content is one of the best ways to build loyalty and display social proof.
6. Don’t make goals for goals-sake
Sure, you could measure your follower count or the comments your posts get on average, but what is that really telling you? Before you post, ask yourself what you really want to gain and then measure accordingly. For example, if you want to grow user-generated content, measure your social shares, not impressions.
7. It takes time
Social media is an investment and waiting for one post to go viral is not the best strategy. Even if you feel like you haven’t gained any traction in a while, take a look at your analytics and tweak your strategy a bit. Impact doesn’t happen overnight.
8. Content is everything
You may know all the tips and tricks like the best times to post or how to curate an amazing collection of hashtags, but none of that matters if you have stale content. Look at the content you already create and reformat it for your channels. Showcasing what you do in relatable ways to your audience will keep them around for the long haul.
9. Define your KPIs
Social media is all about the content but data shouldn’t be forgotten! Create KPIs that accurately measure your success so that you can make adjustments and grow your brand organically. Especially when using paid ads, having a critical eye on the numbers can give you essential insights and help you make decisions. Identify your account benchmarks as well as industry benchmarks to create the best KPIs.
10. You do you
Ultimately, you know what is best for your brand and audience. Simply following trends and taking inspiration from popular posts may not provide you with the results you want. Don’t compare yourself to other accounts. Share what is important to you, connect with followers in the comments and via features like lives - and, always be authentic.
Enjoyed this post? Also, check out our posts on content marketing trends of 2022 and the amazing content tools you need to know about.
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