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5 Tips For Not Sucking At Social Media Marketing
Greetings and salutations. Sorry, that doesn’t look as cool in text format as it sounded in my head. I was trying to do a Christian Slater voice but…nevermind. What am I doing here? Oh right, social media advice.
Look, social media is fun and all, but if we’re being honest, it’s a bloated mess at times. The companies that do best with social media marketing are the ones who seem real and give their audience helpful content.
If you’re craving some social media tips, here are some tasty treats.
1) Taper your expectations
It’s not very common for a post to blow up and generate thousands of views overnight. It’s a great goal to have, but you shouldn’t expect all your posts to go viral.
This is definitely true if your company is a small business in an industry that doesn’t generate much interest outside of its own niche.
What should my expectations be?
It all depends on the size of your audience and the quality of your content. We’ve seen small businesses get a couple of clicks and “likes” per post, but we’ve also seen companies get dozens per post.
If your company has ten followers, it would be ridiculous to assume that every post would generate a ton of website traffic. In this case, you’d want to work on gradually building up your social media presence and expecting traffic to grow over time.
2) Have something to offer
What are you posting about? Your blogs? Coupons and promotions? General advice or information? It’s totally up to you! Whatever you’re posting about, it needs to be relevant and helpful for your customers.
For example, there could be three companies promoting their services, but the one most likely to get clicks is the one that offers a coupon right in the post.
If you’re not doing a promotion, sometimes the best thing to offer is your own personality. One of our clients offers a fun, humorous tone on their website and in their social media posts. Here’s a sample of how this can bring positive results:
3) Don’t go overkill with hashtags
#If #your #post #looks #like #this, #it #probably #won’t #have #the #intended #result.
Okay, that’s a very extreme example and I’m guessing nobody’s ever done it. Then again, social media can be a cesspool sometimes, so we can’t rule it out. (Is Cesspool a Deadpool villain? If not, it’s a lost opportunity.)
Sorry, I digress. Hashtags can be very helpful, but don’t overdo it. Use them strategically (understand what the hashtag actually means or links to) and sparingly (maybe a couple per post).
If you end your post with 50 hashtags, it probably won’t get you any more views. Think of it like keyword stuffing, an old SEO strategy that should be avoided at all costs.
4) Link back to your website
Don’t automatically assume that you’ll generate traffic by simply saying something like, “Check out our new blog on our website!”
You need to include a link on every post you make (♪♪ every step you take… ♪♪). If you’re promoting your blog, include the link right in the post. If you’re promoting a content offer, include a link that takes the user directly to the promotions page.
People might be interested in your post initially, but if you don’t include a pathway to your website, they most likely won’t seek it out on their own.
5) Wear your flame-resistant clothing
People are brutal on social media. Like, really damn brutal. Even if your company didn’t do anything wrong, you could get torched simply by being in the same industry as a company that did royally screw up.
As Mac Davis thoughtfully pointed out, it’s hard to be humble. But you know what? Tough cookies! If your company screws up, own up to it right away. Acknowledge your mistake and do what you can to make it right.
People appreciate companies that are transparent, responsible, and human. The more you can relate and build trust, the more likely you’ll be to have success on social media.
About Us
CG Marketing Group is a talented team of creatives and strategists who can make your business awesome. We like to have fun, but we’re very serious about digital marketing.
To sum us up in a single word — Scrappy. We’re always eager to branch out and apply new tactics to create successful campaigns. Our crew works hard to bring value, get results, and keep our clients happy.
