• 3-minute read
• 1st February 2019

5 Top Social Media Tips for Businesses

Most businesses are now on social media. This is because platforms like Facebook and Twitter offer a cheap and easy way to reach millions of potential customers. But how can you make sure your company stands out from the online crowd? We suggest the following social media tips:

1. Use the same social media networks as your customers.
2. Use images and infographics to boost the number of views you get.
3. Respond to questions and give followers ways to interact with you.
4. Use competitions and special offers to reward loyal followers.
5. Check your social media messages carefully to avoid typos.

Check out our advice below for more social media tips.

1. Cross-Platforming on Social Media

From Snapchat to LinkedIn, we have a lot of social media platforms to choose from these days. But trying to maintain a presence on every platform would be a huge drain on time and effort. As such, you may want to concentrate on the platforms most relevant to your business.

If you run a craft supplies company, for example, you’ll want to be on Pinterest, which is popular with the arts and crafts community. However, Pinterest may be less relevant to companies that sell industrial mining equipment. It is thus vital to find out which platforms your customers use.

To run multiple accounts, meanwhile, you can use a social media management tool. Try to tailor each post to the platform, too, as cross-posting can be off-putting for some followers.

2. Images and Infographics

Posts with images get more views and responses than those without a visual element. It is therefore wise to include images and infographics in your posts whenever possible. Ideally, you should create your own original images for use on social media. But you can also use public domain images.

And then there are memes. So many memes. And people seem to like those these days. Whatever you post online, though, make sure to follow all relevant copyright laws for your region.

3. Engagement, Engagement, Engagement

Unlike traditional advertising, social media is a two-way street. Yes, you can use it to make announcements or promote your business. But customers can also use it to get in touch with you.

The most important factor here is to respond promptly to messages. However, you can also use polls, hashtags, and other techniques to encourage your followers to engage online.

4. Deals and Competitions

Getting people to follow you online is only half the battle. The real trick is keeping them interested. And this means you need to reward your loyal followers somehow. You can often do this by running regular competitions, giveaways and special offers. After you’ve done this for a while, people will know they’ll miss out on freebies and discounts if they don’t check your social media accounts. And that should keep them coming back for more!

5. Proofread Carefully!

Finally, don’t forget to double check every social media post or message you write. Typos may be common online, and informal English is fine, but spelling or grammar errors on social media could reflect badly on your company. As such, it pays to proofread everything you post online.