4 Best Practices for Social Media

From Facebook to Snapchat to TikTok, it’s not easy to stay on top of the latest and greatest social media trends. The good news is, that to be successful, isn’t about keeping up as much as it is about showing up. Consistency and sustained efforts, coupled with some really focused strategies, will take you far.

Below are some best practices that you can apply to whatever platform you’re using. These universal tips and tricks have been proven to work – even for newbies. Over 70% of marketers believe social media marketing is effective, so if you are new to socmed, and it makes sense for your industry, it’s time to jump in.

Here are 4 timeless best practices:

1. Be and stay relevant. A viral video of a cute dog sleeping may bring eyeballs to your channel or website, but if you’re not selling dog beds or puppies, this might not be bringing you relevant traffic. You definitely want to capture hearts and minds, but it’s important to stay focused. If you’re an IT company, for example, then maybe sharing a clip from the movie Money Pit doesn’t make sense. You get the idea. Not all traffic is created equal. It’s your job to get it right. 


2. Apps like Twitter and Instagram are always releasing updates and upgrades. And while it’s not imperative you reach guru status on any one platform, leveraging a new feature from your favorite social media tool can help you get some additional reach. Most platforms reward those who use enhanced, new functionality. In this case, it pays to be an early adopter. But just keep in mind that whichever platform you use, IT support is usually lacking.

3. You don’t have to pay for the Kardashians to promote you, but commissioning influencers to showcase your product or services can do a lot for your cachet and credibility. Even “micro-influencers” – those with maybe just a few thousand followers – can reap huge rewards if the audience is targeted correctly. And sometimes those lower level weblebrities will take a few hundred dollars a post. Definitely not out of reach financially. 


4. But how do people really feel? It’s actually not that hard to find out. With software like Hootsuite and Sprout Social – to name just a couple – you can find out what people in your industry are thinking. Or even if you want to see how people feel about a specific topic, you can do that too. These programs monitor and analyze comments being made across multiple social media channels and analyze for tone, voice and keywords. The output is some insight into the way folks are feeling out in the world. Hugely valuable.