It’s the second part of Fearey’s Fearless Series on SOCIAL MEDIA. To kick off the series, we gave you a how-to guide on finding the best social media platform to help you achieve your business goals.
Today, we bring you part two, Social Media 101: Best Practices.
In this installment, we’re sharing social media best practices to ensure you maximize your social media content’s reach and encourage engagement and participation from your audience. Let’s dive in.
Emphasize visual content.
The eyes have it. Most social media users prefer visual content like photos, videos and links. Including these types of content gives you an appealing way to tell your brand’s story or share information. It will also help your posts stand out in your followers’ newsfeeds.
Stick to images that are relevant to your industry and brand. Always avoid images that are blurry or low resolution. If you don’t have an image readily available, you can select one from some a free stock photo sites – just always make sure you have permission to use the photo.
Know when to post.
According to Sprout Social, timing is critical on social media. The best (and worst) times to post may vary depending on the platform you are using. Understanding how optimal times fluctuate across platforms and some essential social media best practices will help you share content wisely and put your message in front of the most number of viewers.
Best times to post:
- Best times: Wednesday, 11 a.m. and 1–2 p.m.
- Best day: Wednesday
- Worst day: Sunday
- Best times: Wednesday at 11 a.m. and Friday from 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
- Best day: Wednesday
- Worst day: Sunday
- Best times: Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m.
- Best days: Wednesday and Friday
- Worst day: Saturday
- Best times: Wednesday from 8–10 a.m. and noon, Thursday at 9 a.m. and 1–2 p.m., and Friday at 9 a.m.
- Best days: Wednesday and Thursday
- Worst day: Sunday
Engage with your followers.
The number of followers your business page has means very little if you’re not engaging with them properly. Think of social media as a two-way conversation – your audience and followers want to hear updates from you and view your content, but they also want to be able to respond and interact with that content. To do this, invite them to engage.
- Commenting: If a follower comments on your post, be sure to reply back as much as you can. Like comments, shares and any positive post you’re tagged in. By doing this, followers in your network are more likely to see that post, even if they aren’t following the page who originally posted.
- Ask questions and start conversations: Presenting questions to your followers is a great way to start a conversation and encourage them to comment on your posts.
What’s happening in your industry that you could discuss? Is there a way for you to add fun or light-hearted questions to your content mix? Even checking in to see how your followers are doing that day can be effective. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Be curious – encourage others to wonder along with you, too.
Here’s an example from Fearey’s Instagram:
- Join in on trending topics: Similar to asking questions and sparking conversations, it’s good practice to regularly participate in discussions around trending topics or news within your industry. Search for popular hashtags across platforms and keep up with others in your industry. Twitter is especially useful for displaying trending topics each day, and staying on top of the news can give you plenty of ideas to work with around this.
In turn, posting about recent industry news or trending topics can help increase reach and engagement. It also might play to any thought leadership initiatives you have. Users who follow topics or hashtags will be more likely to see your post and commentary on an issue, even if they’re not following your page.
For an example, see Fearey’s recent LinkedIn post:
Deciding where to post, when to post and how to post can seem complex at first, but when you break it down and start with the basics and social media best practices, it only takes a few steps. Ultimately, your social media channels are yet another touch point for your customers to get to know you and your brand and learn more about your offerings.
Wondering how to reach new audiences or even more users with your current social media content? Reach out today – Fearey team members can help you think through ideas.
Next week, we’ll dive even deeper into how to create an effective social media strategy.
Stay tuned. Stay fearless.