So you have set up your account on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ or Twitter and you’re ready to go. The problem is you suddenly don’t know what to post. There’s an adage on social media that people don’t really want to know if you’re having a cup of tea or doing the shopping. But how about sharing that new recipe you’re trying out? Or what if you are visiting an art gallery or watching the latest blockbuster?

Our main advice is this:

People buy from people, so just be you. Don’t overwhelm them with minutiae but don’t be afraid to make it personal.

Here are Social Media Marketing Tips:

1. A picture paints a thousand words. It’s an old cliché but it’s true – posts with an image attached are more likely to be commented on and shared than those without.
2. Make sure you have your own picture up there too, so people can see that you are real. Yes, you can have a logo, but social media is about being you, so put YOU up there.
3. Think about what you are going to post and link back to your website for more information. Have you got a new blog article out? Post something educational such as a guide about how to get the best out of a particular product. Has someone endorsed you? Let the world know. Are you at an event? Take a photo with your smartphone and post it with a link. When you start to think about it, there are plenty of opportunities to engage with your customers on social media.
4. Social media marketing tips: But beware, engage more than you advertise. Pumping sales messages out there may seem a good idea but can easily wear your customers down.
5. Don’t live in a vacuum. Social media is also a great way to create business networks, grow relationships and work more closely with referral partners by recommending each other’s products.
6. Social media marketing is not a throwaway activity. You need to monitor and measure it, find out how it works for you and where you can improve your engagement and increase the possibility of sales. Tweak messages and see how that affects the response. You’ll be surprised how changing the length of post can improve its sharing power.
7. You need to give social media your time. It’s another development stream of your business activity and is vitally important. The more energy and effort you put in the more you will get out.
8. You can set up your smartphone to receive notifications or have them sent to your everyday email account but this can get distracting if you have a large number of followers. Instead, think about sending your notifications to a dedicated free-to-use email account but make sure that you check updates regularly.
9. Also make sure your links back to your site are related to what you are talking about and don’t lead to somewhere obscure. It’s a trust thing, if someone clicks on your link expecting to go to a certain place and are sent to another, they might not press your links again in the future.
10. Make sure your posts are clear and concise. Say what you have to say and don’t presume that everyone knows what you are talking about.
11. If your social media provision is being spread across the office and several people are involved, make sure that you have a robust and protective social media policy in place and that everyone is aware of it.
12. Don’t rely just on social media. It is an extra string to your bow but should not replace other business development such as networking, email marketing and client meetings.

And finally, social media engagement isn’t a one size fits all marketing strategy. It will vary according to your product or service and it requires a certain amount of considered experimentation to find the right approach for your business.

For further advice regarding your social media marketing tips contact us on 01604 654545 or email sales@thelasthurdle.co.uk We offer a free initial consultation and are always happy to give pointers.