If you are posting content on social media for your company, then you need to know more than basic etiquette and platform navigation. What is your boss going to expect you to know? Here are six quick tips to help you become a better social media marketer.
Best Posting Times
Choosing the best times to post can help your company achieve better engagement and impact levels.
- Posting at the end of the week is best for Facebook interaction, with an increased “happiness index” specifically spiking on Friday.
- Twitter gains the most click-throughs around noon and 6 pm, with the highest Retweet rate at 5 pm.
- Pinterest Pins are most popular on Saturday, with viewers most active between the evening hours of 8-11 pm.
- Instagram users are more likely to engage with business posts before or after work hours.
Newest Features
As a marketing professional, you need to keep on top of the news and updates coming from platforms the company uses. You will also want to know what updates might make a platform more valuable to your brand and worth checking out.
Pinterest: Buy Button
Believe it or not, Pinterest users are doing more than just browsing for DIY inspiration. Spotify found that as high as 93% of Pinterest users are planning their purchases through the platform. Pinterest has now announced their launch of buyable Pins that allow users to buy directly from their Pinterest feed on their mobile phones. Users never leave Pinterst, so your Pin needs to contain all necessary information to convert viewers effectively and the Pins need to be formatted for Mobile screens.
Instagram: Shop Now
The image-focused platform has always avoided link-sharing. Brands have felt the disconnect that forces them to place links in the bio, adding an irritating extra step to the conversion process for viewers. Instagram has now introduced CTA buttons, such as “Shop Now,” “Sign Up” or “Learn More” to help users connect with brands faster.
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Paid Social Media Promotion
If you believe that simply posting is going to bring a large audience, then you don’t understand brand marketing very well. The good news is: promotional posting on social media is only a fraction of the cost for digital or print advertising. You can narrow down the audience that sees your campaigns and pay per click or per thousand impressions. Look into the promotional posting options for the platforms you are already using and help your boss understand how promotional posting will reach a new audience with brand awareness.
Always Include Graphics
You can instantly create your own graphics with free apps, like LiveLuvCreate, Canva or PicMonkey, no matter where you are when you are posting. Creating graphics for social media is important for boosting viewer engagement and retention. Your audience is visual and every post should include an interesting graphic.
Engagement and ROI Reports
Do you have a good dashboard yet to track your impact? Your boss is going to expect you to defend which platforms are worth investing more into and which platforms should be dropped or minimally updated. Important metrics will include customer advocacy, click-through rates, conversion rates and increased reach with new leads. Social media marketing is a funnel tool, so don’t ignore important metrics that are pointing to the conversion process that requires time and impact.
Listening In
You need to know how to find the conversations relevant to your brand. Use social media listening tools to specify keywords that matter to you, including your brand, your employees, your products, your competitors and your industry. Check out what customers are concerned about, need or love about products you sell. Respond to customers asking questions or talking about their frustrations publicly (and know when they are talking privately to their friends). Use customer reviews to form policies and product descriptions more in line with what your audience is actually experiencing to help clarify the buying process.
As you continue to learn about the social media marketing process, you will discover unique things important to your specific industry. Always learn and adapt to social media so your brand can stay on top of the trends.
