Everyone's got to start somewhere, and social media is just too big a sea of people not to dip your toe into.
Rather than allowing yourself to feel overwhelmed, have a look at these 15 social media tips here and see if they don't help you to get out of the starting gate and on the right path to a lively, effective social media presence.
15 Social Media Tips for Small Business Beginners!
1. Use imagery in your posts - Studies show that people respond a lot more often to visual media these days.
2. Don't be a shadow - Make sure you show up. The once a month poster isn't going to gain or keep any traction in any way.
3. Respond - Spend time to reply to all of the comments you receive from others. This will help you connect with your target audience.
4. Avoid overselling - Don't try too hard to sell your products and services. People dislike pushy salespeople.
5. Be careful when using hashtags - While you should use them to increase user engagement, using too many can be harmful.
6. Stay on point - Always keep things relevant. Straying too far off topic will reduce user interest.
7. Avoid confrontation - Don't respond negatively to bad feedback. Respond and stay professional, and keep your head above the fray.
8. Don't get too verbose! - Long messages tend to make readers head for the exits.
9. Respond to comments - Whatever you do don't disable comments. Instead engage here and show them you value their contribution.
10. Stay consistent - Use scheduling tools to post when you can't. Tools like Hootsuite, Buffer and others make this easy.
11. Be visual - Post videos and other graphic content as often as you are able. These get far more engagement and are shared much more than mere text.
12. Focus on a few channels - Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Pinterest, pick a few and stay active. While it can be a full time job to do most of them effectively, do the ones you've committed to with gusto.
13. Mix it up - Post different types of content so as to keep things interesting. Post, videos, memes, product reviews, testimonials and more.
14. Be generous - Everyone loves a deal, and offering them to your social audience is an excellent way to gain trust and shares.
15. Have fun - While you want to stay professional, no one likes boring.
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