The difficult thing about social media is that it is ever-changing. What works today as a best practice, doesn’t tomorrow and the platform that is all the rage this afternoon is suddenly less important to your demographic over the weekend. We’ve seen it with Instagram’s massive growing following and MySpace’s diminishing one.
How do you know the best way to use social media for your business or personal branding? And how do you keep up with the latest trends? You follow and listen to people who do this for a living.
We’ve compiled some of the best social media advice from world-class marketing professionals on top social media questions so you needn’t hunt the Interwebs for it. Ready to get started?
What Platforms Should I Use? - Joe Pulizzi (Twitter: @JoePulizzi), founder of Content Marketing Institute
“In the beginning I became so distracted about trying a little bit of everything that I wasn't great at anything. Own something amazing and build an audience on that platform. Then (and only then) should you diversify to other platforms.”How Do I Get More Followers? - Mark Schaefer, college-educator, social media consultant, speaker
“...100,000 followers is not the same as 100,000 readers - a very small subset of followers actually read what I share!I've not done anything special to grow my audience other than carefully creating and sharing content that I believe has value. People seem to love what I share. All of my followers are organic -- they know me through my content, my speeches and classes. Do good work, be kind, add value, and people will be attracted to your brand.”
What Should I Share? - Melanie Perkins (Twitter: @melaniecanva), co-founder and CEO of Canva
“Be authentic and provide value. Create content that educates your users and helps them to improve their game – they will become loyal followers and genuinely engage with your content. It also helps you to become an expert in your field.”
How Do I Tell a Better Story? - Apu Gupta (Twitter: @ApuGupta), co-founder and CEO of Curalate
“Your story can be significantly more powerful if you’re not the only one telling it. Curate your fans’ imagery about your brand with your own to tell stories that combine multiple perspectives with authenticity.”How Do I Get More Sales on Social Media? - Chris Brogan, speaker, blogger, consultant
"If you were at a cocktail party, you wouldn't come up and shake someone's hand and say, 'You should see what I sell. I'm amazing!' You would ask about the other person. The same holds true [on social networks]. You really need to build a relationship before you go for the sale."
Furthermore…
“Any opportunity to be helpful is an opportunity to earn money.”
Write with natural language.
Write to the level of quality we find on industry-leading sites in search.”
“Incorporate images – always, always, always. We know that images result in increased engagement and conversions. So use images in your posts whenever possible!”
Furthermore…
“Any opportunity to be helpful is an opportunity to earn money.”
How Do I Create Good Content? - Christopher Penn, speaker, blogger, marketing strategist
“Write for people.Write with natural language.
Write to the level of quality we find on industry-leading sites in search.”
How Do I Get More Engagement on My Posts? - Kim Garst, author, speaker, president of Boom! Social
“Incorporate images – always, always, always. We know that images result in increased engagement and conversions. So use images in your posts whenever possible!”9 More Social Media Marketing Tips From the Pros in an infographic
Courtesy of: Revampcrm.
As the “old” saying goes, you have to be social to do social. No matter what platforms come and go, one of the most important things to remember is not to use them as a megaphone to get your voice heard but to use them as tools for conversation. Show others that you find them interesting and they are more likely to engage with you.
