The Best Ways to Promote Your Business on Social Media

Social media can be difficult for businesses to manage, especially when they are not able to hire a social media specialist. Advertisements alone do not work on Facebook or Twitter, as followers need to be engaged. Social media requires time and effort to properly understand and use the platforms.

Moment.me’s CEO Dovev Goldstein offered the following nine best practices for social media in an article on Inc.:

1. Use data and analytics. Gain insight from your followers and other users who mention your business on social media. Find out who is posting regularly about your business, who has a large audience and who purchased from you once – then use an incentive to get them to shop with you again.
2. Go for loyalty, not millions. Aim to attract loyal followers and focus less on the quantity of followers. Develop your social relationships like real-life relationships, taking time to build them by investing in them over time.
3. Go local. Reach customers who are nearby with targeted content. Offer rewards for customers who visit your physical location.
4. Plan ahead. Create a content calendar to keep track of your upcoming posts and save yourself time in developing content. Be sure to incorporate traditional holidays like Christmas, and annual events like Valentine’s Day, into your planned posts.
5. Use what you’ve got. Feel free to use content you’ve already created, and include content produced by your customers.
6. Be interactive. Engage your followers by posting surveys and quizzes, and hosting contests.
7. Makes sales out of your relationships. Use social media activity to generate online and offline sales. Send offers to your followers after you’ve built relationships with them.
8. Be quick to respond to complaints. Address your customers’ concerns and save your reputation. They want to know that you care and will respond to their concerns.
9. Personalize. Your business should have character. Take time to develop its voice to attract people who will like your offerings.