Dec. 15--You'll read a lot about social media organic reach falling and, if you run a business, the need to explore paid options via advertising. How you proceed will depend on many factors, from business size to the customers you are trying to reach to budget.
Boost is the word of the hour ... boost your post and therefore your reach with money to get it in front of people. But before you boost with your wallet, boost your engagement.
Whether you do social for a company or just for yourself, strong engagement is where it all starts. If you don't do a good job engaging, all the ads in the world are unlikely to get you to your goals.
While the process to buy ads varies, good engagement is pretty universal. It's easy to bounce between Instagram and Facebook and Twitter, but you'll have to do your homework to see where your customers are and react accordingly. In other words, don't spend all your time on Twitter when everyone is using Instagram.
Here are some basic tips for any platform to make sure your engagement game is on point.
Provide interesting, real-time content
Simply put, think about the things you share and why. Do you share boring stuff that seems robotic in nature? No? Then you shouldn't expect your customers and fans to do the same. Make sure what you share is shareable and that people will want to come back and view it. That's the quickest way to grow likes and shares.
Retweet, reshare, regram
There's really no higher compliment on social media than someone thinking your content is worthy of sharing, whether it's a few words or a bunch of photos. So when someone says something that you want to highlight, share it with your audience. It's a proven method of saying thanks, and it works.
ABC: Always Be Consistent
There's nothing worse than someone who uses social media only when it suits them. You know the kind -- the people who post three times a month. You have to be a part of the conversation to be relevant in the conversation, and that means setting aside time to be online and listen.
Participate where it makes sense
Certain hashtags are regulars and popular. Take #TBT, or Throwback Thursday. It's an opportunity to post about something that happened in the past, whether it's a week ago or 100 years ago. So if you have a business with a rich history, this is your pot of gold. Post old photos, old menus, old anything. And if #TBT doesn't make the most sense, consider another one such as #TravelTuesday or #FF for Follow Friday when you recommend someone else to follow.
Tailor to the platform you are using
Never share your tweets on Facebook or Instagram. Those are three different platforms so you should have three different types of content.
Provide the best customer service in the world -- even if you don't have a business
This simply means respond to people. And remember, this extends off the usual platforms. Does your business have a Yelp page? When was the last time you read the reviews and responded to them?
I gave you six tips, and there are hundreds if not more. So start here. I'm willing to bet it will make a difference, no matter who you are and why you are using social media.
What questions do you have about social media? Tweet them to @scottkleinberg with hashtag #SoSocial. He might select yours for use in a future column.
