Are you running a business? In that case, you need to be on Social Media. It’s really that simple these days. Particularly for small business owners, social media can provide invaluable connections, customer service opportunities, and insight into customer experiences. It’s also where many people may learn about your business for the first time. However, creating a social media account is not enough, you need to actively maintain it and connect with others on social media. Here are 5 social media tips that will help get you started!

The 80/20 Rule

Only 20% of the content you post on social media should be directly about your brand. 80% of it should be more sharable content that either you’ve created, curated, or are retweeting/sharing. This content may be images, infographics, videos, or articles that your followers will find interesting and is appropriate to be associated with your brand. For example, if you sell pet products, you can post tips & tricks for pet owners, cute pet videos and images, and hold contests involving people posting pictures of their pets.

Response Time

Timing counts and most of the people who post a comment on your social media expect a response within 24 hours, any longer can discourage them from future interactions.

What to Say

When faced with a negative comment on social media, it can be strategic to respond to them in a way that demonstrates you (or the brand) cares and acknowledges customers’ concerns. Never ever respond in a negative way on social media. It is very much if you cannot say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Positive comments should be retweeted or responded to whenever possible, as this encourages more positive feedback. Responding is an important part of interacting and engaging with your audience, while also humanizing your brand, improving brand loyalty and creating brand ambassadors.

Give Kudos

Nothing grows your social media presence like connecting with others. Favourite, retweet, and comment on the content of others to give credit where credit is due. This will make them curious about who you are and want to connect with you more. It also humanizes your brand a bit more, and can potentially connect you with someone who can change your business.

Competition

Not sure where to begin? Check out your competition. What are they doing right, and what would you change? How often do to they post, when, and what kind of a response do they get. Chances are, they’ve already gone through trial and error, and you can learn from their mistakes.

Is your business new to Social Media? What is your one tip for fellow business owners? Comment below!

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