I know so many of you are absolutely cracking on with your plans for the rest of 2020, including showing up and standing out on social media.
To help you get set for social success here are my top five social media tips, enjoy!
One of the wonderful things about the internet is that it's full of brilliant tools for sharing great information… and the best news is – most of them are free!
One of the most popular modern-day PR tools is, of course, social media. With the invention and development of social media, we are more connected than ever before; with more opportunities to share information, have conversations and build connections. So it makes sense we use these platforms which have been gifted to us to the best of our ability, right?
In the blink of an eye…
As with most things driven by technology, the social media world is super fast-paced, every day something else changes and updates are rolled out (seemingly) every five seconds. Users are increasing and decreasing and viral trends emerge then vanish in the blink of an eye.
It can be tough to keep up, especially when it feels like we should be everywhere, all the time! With this in mind, here are my five top tips for social media success.
1 – Plan and schedule wherever you can
The last thing you want to be doing after a long day is spending hours and hours trying to think up ideas then posting content to all your social media profiles.
If you ‘batch’ plan your content in one go and schedule it for the week, fortnight or even month ahead, it will save you so much time and stress! There are some amazing scheduling programmes out there (most of which are free) that allow you to cross-post to each platform, customise each post and auto-schedule for a time and date that suits you and so much more.
I love Later for Instagram, Buffer for LinkedIn and Twitter and Facebook’s own Creator Studio, but there are lots of tools out there so find what works for you. Usually, the simpler the better, then it won’t feel like work!
2 – Consistency is key
There’s no getting around it, you must be consistent in order to build a brand your audience recognises.
Consistency in a brand brings growth in audience, engagement and reach. Consistency helps people know, like and trust your brand, and that, as we know, is where the magic happens. From the tone of voice used in messages to the aesthetics of your profiles, you need to be recognisable to build a relationship with your audience. Your followers need regular content and to instantly recognise it’s you.
3 – Smile, you’re on camera!
I know many of you may be cringing in your seat, but honestly showing up on video is crucial to your brand in today’s social media age.
People need to see the face and voice behind the brand, and they need to connect with you on a personal level if you want them to feel connected to you. The latest Instagram Engagement Report reveals that video content is the best way to generate conversation and interaction and it’s a free feature on multiple social platforms, so please, use it.
4 – Are you choosing wisely?
Contrary to popular belief, it is not always effective to be present on all the social media platforms out there. Why? Because you may be spreading yourself too thin across too many different audiences, and it can get really time-consuming, which means it becomes a counter-productive activity.
Find out where your audience is and put your effort and focus into that channel. It’s better to do one or things really well than to do lots of things poorly and begin resenting them – quality over quantity every time
5 – Everyone loves a freebie
It’s amazing how many free tools are out there and how fabulous they are for building your brand and the aesthetics of your profiles. I highly recommend playing around with lots of different ones until you find what you love and, ultimately, what makes social media life easier.
Here’s a couple that we love at Garnet PR:
- Canva – this is a great platform for creating templates, stories, posts, and other assets.
- Later – following on from my scheduling tip above, this free tool is so great for seeing how your Instagram grid will look once your posts are live, plus you’re able to save hashtags and link up to four social profiles (including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest) so is a great all-rounder.
Lastly, social media is incredible but can be a rabbit hole. Try not to get ‘comparisonitis’ by scrolling too much and feeling the envy bug rise, remember most accounts are a showreel, NOT reality.
So, a bonus tip, stay in your lane, share what makes you feel good and represents your brand authentically and remember the key is in the name.
Social.
Look to build real relationships, friendships and accounts that feel as good on the inside as they look on the outside. You won’t go far wrong.