Companies that either do not have social media or have not optimized their social media posting wonder if there’s a secret to being successful in this marketing arena. There are a number of helpful strategies for improving engagement on social media, but the most important one is this: Be consistent. Without consistency, even the most entertaining, informative, or helpful posts will fail to woo an audience over time.
Consistent Social Media Posting
Q: What is the best way to post to social media?
A: Consistently.
You may think that consistency means that you develop a schedule of posting and you stick to it. It does mean that, but it’s also important to be consistent in voice, in visual branding, and in content. The goal is to develop your brand online so that your audience knows what to expect from your company and is drawn to it by what you post. Over time, if done correctly, this consistent social media will result in your audience seeking you out.
Part of this involves determining who your audience is and speaking to it appropriately. A company that markets to Millennials will use a different voice and different content than one that markets primarily to Baby Boomers. Developing a strategy to appeal to your audience will mean figuring out the right approach and sticking to it over time. The person in charge of your company’s social media should have guidelines to follow to avoid PR mistakes or blunders. This would include an understanding of the audience, a list of topics to explore and ones to avoid, and a knack for using language that will speak to that audience effectively.
The content of your posts should also be consistent. The cultural references and vocabulary you might use to get the attention of Boomers will not necessarily work with GenX or younger people. The jokes will land differently. Making a light reference to the Kennedy assassination will never work with Boomers, for instance. Knowing the intended audience is very important for marketing, but for social media especially because it can feel more immediate and personal.
It’s also important to be consistent visually. Not every social media account has to use corporate branding or images created by professional graphic designers to succeed. But choose a visual strategy just like you would choose a content strategy: carefully and deliberately. Then stick to it. If you use hashtags, use them appropriately and sparingly. You do not want your hashtags to be longer than the actual post they are attached to.
Posting on a schedule is a great way to follow through with a well thought out social media campaign. Not only should you post regularly over time, you should also post on a variety of topics, mixing up your content so your audience does not get bored or fatigued and still enjoys your posts. If your company markets a variety of products or services, make sure that your posting reflects a bit of everything and does not focus too much on one thing even if that one thing is your primary focus. Variety is the spice of life.
Make a point to organize your content, determine what time of day each type of content would best reach its audience, and then schedule it ahead of time so it will be sure to post. You want to maximize your organic reach, so researching the impact of different types of posts and paying attention to which posts get engagement will help with that goal.
Posting daily is a good plan, but not every company will want that much social media outreach. That’s fine. However, if your company fails to post on your social media regularly, you should know that your audience, including would be customers, may judge that as unreliability or a lack of commitment to engage with them. Huge gaps between posts may be seen as negligence.
Consistency Is Key
Again, consistency is vital if you want to reach your audience with your social media posts. Every company that invests in social media has that as a goal, so don’t undercut your efforts with an inconsistent follow through on posting. With a little organization and effort, your social media can really shine!
If social media poses too much of a time commitment for your company, but you see the value in it, contact Corporate Conversions for a free social media review and proposal. We will be happy to talk with you about how we can serve your business. Contact Tom directly at [email protected] or by phone at 616-426-9303.
