2020 came as a shock for most of us and let's face it, now we are all picking up the pieces in 2021. With that, comes the challenges of working on our business, while trying to figure out how to run our social media platforms in the process. That's where I have you covered!

I have put together 10 of my top social media tips for you that I believe will help you overcome some of your challenges and get you back on track to running your business smoothly, while having a great social media presence in the process.

1. Do your Research.

The biggest and best tip I can give you is to study your audience! Knowing who you are targeting on social media is the very first step to knowing how to target them. What are their demographics? What are their buying habits? What are their interests? Knowing these traits will help you better understand how to target them in advertisements and how to cater to their needs. If you do not know who your audience is, then how are you going to give them what they want? Do your research and discover all you can about your target audience.

2. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

Setting goals is such a huge part of your business as a whole, so why wouldn't you set goals for your social media, as well? Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is a great place to start when setting goals for your social media.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time-Based

Be specific with your goals and have real deadlines. Make sure that each of your goals are measurable by tracking them. Make sure your goals are attainable. They need to be challenging, but possible. Make sure that your goals are relevant to your business. Finally, make sure that your goals have a timeline. It is important to set dates on each goal that you make - short term and long term. By using this method, you will be well on your way to reaching your goals.

3. Do some Competitive Research.

Have you had a chance to see what your competitors are doing yet? Well most people take a look at them for business purposes, but never take the time to look into their social media habits. How often are they posting? What does their

engagement look like? What platforms can you find them on? You want to have a one-up on the competition in many aspects of your business, including social media.

4. Have the Best Response Times.

If someone messages you on your social media accounts, it's so important that you respond in record time. If you don't, then you risk them taking their business to someone who will answer their question faster than you can. This applies to comments and tags, as well. If someone comments on your posts or tags you in one of their posts, responding to their comment, just to acknowledge that you are responsive, is so important if you want customers to keep coming back to your social media pages.

5. Create a Posting Schedule.

This is something that will hold you accountable and it will also help you to stay consistent. Having a consistent social media presence is so important and many entrepreneurs don't realize how important it really is. In 2020, some businesses had to really lean on social media for their businesses to thrive. Having consistency shows customers and potential prospects that your business is up and running.

6. Use the Third's Method.

I have always loved using the third's method when I schedule for our clients. This is just a simple method that keeps your content from being about the same topics every single time you post. The method goes like this:

- 1/3 of content posted is promoting your business

- 1/3 of content posted is approved 3rd party content

- 1/3 of content posted is interactive posts

By using this method, you are able to spread out your content. You will always have something new to post and you will be able to create a sense of balance on your pages.

7. Use the Correct Graphic Sizing on each Platform.

When you use the wrong size image on a platform, it can cut off the image and it just does not look very professional. Mostly Instagram is where this matters the most. It is important that you know the correct sizing and put the correct dimensions on your images, so everyone can see what you are trying to portray to them.

The best tool for graphics that you need to be using is Canva! In Canva, you can just about make a graphic for anything you need. The images sizes are preset in Canva and you can easily switch from size to size to make a graphic for each platform. It is a must-have for your business!

8. Consider using Scheduling Tools.

If you did not know, you can schedule Facebook and Instagram right from Facebook Business Suite. It's a pretty easy process. Some other great scheduling programs include: Later, Buffer, and HootSuite. If you take an hour a week to schedule out some content for the upcoming week, it can make a huge difference.

9. Make Sure to Utilize Hashtags.

Hashtags won't do you much good on Facebook, but they can make a huge difference on other platforms, especially Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Let's talk about Instagram for a moment. You can use up to 30 hashtags for you posts on Instagram. Now, let's talk about hashtags. When using hashtags, you need to use another third's method. 1/3 of your hashtags need to be over 1 Million views. 1/3 of you hashtags need to be under 1 Million views but above 500K. The last 1/3 of the hashtags need to be under 500k. By doing this, you are allowing your post to be seen by several people. If you use hashtags that are all over 1 Million, then you risk your posts being buried pretty quickly by other posts who use the same hashtags after you do. This will help your posts get seen longer.

10. If all else Fails, Hire a Social Media Manager.

If all of this just seems like too much to handle, that's where we come in! Here at Marketing Made Modern, we understand that you have a business to run. Having to run the marketing side of your business can be a bit much, when you have so much going on in other parts of your business. Out of every tip, hiring a Social Media Manager is the best advice I can give.

One of my favorite sayings is, "Outsource the tasks that stop you from doing the things that only you can do in your business." Anyone can post on social media, but not everyone can run your business correctly and not everyone can get results on social media that a Social Media Marketing team can get.

If you are ready to make a change in your business and delegate your social media to the experts, give us a call or email us today! We would love to create a Social Media Marketing Strategy fit for your business!

Author: Brittany Brinson - Brand Manager

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