So, last week we talked about 4 things that your business MUST STOP doing in Social Media. This week let’s identify 8 practices that you business MUST ADOPT.
Be kind to social media. Use it as it was intended to be used. Only then can you look to shape it to your advantage.
1. Use numbers for list posts à la Buzzfeed
People like lists. They’re easy to digest. Odd numbers have been shown to work better than even numbers, but do mix it up.
2. Offer Benefit
Use who, what, where, when, why and how to offer a clear benefit to their life/business.
3. Invoke Emotion
Appealing to people’s desires is a founding thought of PR and Marketing
5. Use Linguistic tricks
Use alliterations, assonance, adjectives (carefully), rhyme, rhythm and repetition
5. Use a Custom URL shortener
In SEO, URLs are an important navigational tool so we spend time optimizing them. Social media is just the same. Users want to know where you’re taking them. If possible, do not use generic URL shorteners on social media.
If a full/truncated URL makes your post a bit cramped or messy, consider using a custom URL shortener. They look cool and very professional, and you can add a new element to your brand-building portfolio.
6. Use text smarter
- Get to the point in your first paragraph. Fluffy intros are horrible on blog posts, but they’re absolutely inexcusable in snippets.
- Do not use desperate advertising script.
- The snippet text should contain, or allude to, the hook.
- Use keywords. Keywords have a bad reputation because of their association with optimization. But a keyword or key term simply should be a succinct articulation of the main point of your article. Use them naturally and they theme your text and make for an easy-to-scan read.
7. Use these simple rules for image in social posts
- Keep it simple. A spectacular image at full res may be just a jumble of colors in a thumbnail.
- An image should have only one subject. Choose one person/item/graphic that most completely tells your story. Like your titles, aim to shock or evoke emotion.
- Upload at a higher res than required to keep things clear.
- If you include text, keep it simple. Sans serif and sans italics = sans ambiguity.
8. Google+, G+, and Google Plus
It’s been said time and time again, but it needs to be said once more:
Complete your G+ business page in its entirety and treat it just like the website you’re paying so much attention to. In fact, think of it as nothing less than your shop front on a street that only Google uses.
Social media is a marketer’s dream. Never has the reach potential of even the smallest of businesses been so great. Such openness-to-all-comers brings with it lots of mistakes and misgivings. But, while there is much to be said for sitting back and watching others define what should and should not be, it doesn’t compare one iota to carving the path yourself. With just a little bit of foresight, you’ll be well ahead of the game.
Does this all sound a little overwhelming on top of running your business? It can be, but Performance First Digital is here to help. Go to the Connect With Us tab and let us know how we can help you.
(For more information on this topic go HERE)