5 Proven Ways to Add More Social Media Traction for Your Business
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When it comes to social media buzz, silence isn’t an option you should choose for your small business. Pinterest. LinkedIn. Twitter. Facebook. Google Plus. It’s hard to know where to start with so many different options. And, even if you choose just one or two, the constant changes in how your posts are sent out to your followers is enough to drive you insane.
Fortunately, there are some proven ways to make sure you get some traction with your social media.
Tip # 1: Choose the Right Audience
One of the best things about social media marketing is that you have an opportunity to target the exact audience you want, in the exact location you want. Facebook and Twitter both have very advanced algorithms that will allow you to advertise to your target demographic.
On Facebook, one little known trick you can use is to search for people who like your competitor’s page. You can then see what pages these people like, what their interests are and other key information that will help you set a new audience for your own ads. You then create a new ad campaign and set the interests and can even choose to target people who like a competitor’s page or a similar audience to those people. What a powerful bit of advertising. It’s almost like you are placing your own billboard over top of your competitor’s.
Tip # 2: Facebook is a Must
No matter what other social media traction you get going, put Facebook first for now. Facebook beats out every other social media competitor when it comes to shares by 10 to 1. Most shares originated on Facebook, even when they later appeared on other social media networks, at a rate of 81%. This is phenomenal momentum potential from one social media channel.
Of course, the social media world is constantly changing. Even though Facebook is a must today, there are many other networks that are growing and some may work better for your particular target audience than others. Just know that Facebook is a good place to start and you can expand from there.
Tip # 3: Learn How to Interact with Followers
According to American Express, and every person who has ever commented on social media practices, there is “little tolerance for self-promoters”. Don’t just look at your social media presence as a way to advertise for free or cheap. Instead, think about how you can add some value to the discussion, information for the reader, or even just a moment or two of brevity.
On Twitter, share tweets from others that you think your readers would find helpful or interesting. If someone shares your tweet, thank them for doing so. A good rule of thumb is at least four non-promotional ads for every one promotional ad. If all you do is to tweet out that there is a sale, a discount, hire our company, then you will quickly lose the interest of your followers. They’ll see you as self-serving and you’ll gain little traction.
Instead, post or tweet helpful tips. Examples of things you could share:
- “It’s time to change the filter in your furnace.”
- A photo of a beautiful sunset in your area.
- A funny joke
- A fact about how much they can save by turning their thermostat down a degree or two in the winter.
You get the idea. Share more than just advertising and engage your followers.
Tip # 4: Reward Virtual Check-Ins
One way to give your service business more visibility is to encourage check-ins. Simply ask your customers if they’ll check in with you when they use your services. This allows all their followers on FourSquare or Facebook to see when they are using your services.
The old general rule of thumb in advertising is called the Rule of Seven. The basic principle of this rule is that a person needs to hear/see your message seven times before it sticks and they buy into what you’re selling. That rule of thumb might actually be higher than seven, depending on the competition in your area, but it is still a good thing to keep in mind.
So, you might send out a direct mail piece, wrap your vehicles, place an ad in the newspaper, and the customer might see your company mentioned on social media. The more times you can get your company name in front of potential customers the better, so encourage check-ins and shares. You might even want to reward customers for doing so with a small token or a discount.
Tip # 5: Know WHEN to Post on Social Media
There are certain times when more people are using social media than at other times. Understanding these peak times can get your message in front of more people than at other times. For example, if you post an interesting fact about your niche at 2 a.m. on a Wednesday night, most people will be sleeping and won’t see the post. However, if you post at 10 a.m. on a Thursday, you will get a lot more eyes on your post because there are a lot more people online at that time.
The majority of social shares happen on Tuesday and Wednesday (38% of all shares occur on these days). Most popular bloggers avoid posting new items on the weekends, because people are busy and the posts get little traction. Follow that one simple rule and post in the middle of the week and you’ll notice an uptick in your engagement.
These are just a handful of tips for improving your social media traction. Focus on producing interesting posts, interact with your followers, and understand that it takes time to build a following online. Over time, you should start to gain leads here and there from your social media work. It can be a very inexpensive way to gain new customers.
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