Social media is an extremely useful and powerful tool for businesses in terms of outreach and gaining credibility. As essential as it is, some companies, however, don’t understand how to use social media to their benefit. Using social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, improperly can do just as much harm to your company as not having a profile at all. So, what can those new to social media marketing techniques do to build up a positive company presence online?
Tip #1.) Start A Blog
Here at SmartFile, I try to whip up one blog a day. That way, it’s routine. Consistency is key with social media, and it gets easier with time. Unsure of what to write about? Industry updates, related research, internal glances at the company, and related news topics are always good starting points for blogs. Always be aware of SEO content, and focus on the keywords that you want your company to pop up under in relation to organic search engine optimization. Not only do blogs help make your company more personable, but a daily blog will create a steady flow of content that readers can associate with your company.
Tip #2.) Start the Conversation
On sites such as Facebook and Twitter, you can’t simply wait for someone to start a conversation with you. Engage with your fans and followers, ask questions, create polls, and most importantly, always promptly respond to posts or tweets directed at you. This shows that you are engaged and listening to your audience…always a good thing. Also, be aware that the response times for Facebook and Twitter are quite different. Tweets are more fast-paced, so you must be on top of your game to make sure you respond before others lose interest in the comment. Facebook posts, on the other hand, were meant to last hours and even days. In short, be conscientious and use your time wisely.
Tip #3.) Stay Dedicated
If you plan on taking on social media, give it all or nothing. Honestly, a social profile that is hardly used and not up to date can give an even more negative opinion of a company than if the company didn’t involve themselves on social media at all. Post your blog updates on your page, tweet about cool things you’ve heard in the news. Define the goal of your content, and stick to topics relative to your industry and company culture. Google Alerts and Digg always have interesting articles and infographics to reference to your followers. If you’re up for it, you can even create your very own infographic; it’s a great way to get your company name to go viral.
So, for those of you ready to start your company’s social media climb, this infographic gives you some great tips in regards to what should be done each day on your social media sites.