Helping Solopreneurs Figure Out Social Media
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My blog
Will Facebook Spaces work?
Under-age social media usage
Did you know that over 50% of
children have a Facebook account?
It's not surprising, because 80% of
the parents are unaware of the age
restrictions that are associated with
the various social media sites.
Fake social media fans exposed
These days it is really easy to
purchase fans and followers.
However, they won't do your
business any good, because they
won't become leads.
Wars and social media
Twitter has been used as a political
platform during the last few years.
Presidents utilize it, and people like
you and me use it to voice their
opinions. Wars continue to be
fought on the ground, but also on
social media.
Spaces, Facebook's VR social
network, is now available to people
who have an Oculus Rift VR
headset. But will it be a success?
The Ultimate Social Media Sharing Guide
Trust me, I feel your pain. Just like you, I used to post frequent updates on the top social media sites, and then wait for them to be liked, retweeted, favorited, and so on. Sometimes I would get a like or two. But more often than not, nothing would happen. Nothing at all!
Your content may be interesting, but not all of it can be successfully shared everywhere. In fact, posting some content on some social media platforms could hurt your business, rather than help it.
So, if you want to get lots of shares, etc. you will have to post different content on different platforms. It is more work, I agree, but it's the only way of getting significant results out of your social media activities.
Every social media site favors a particular type of content. Fortunately, you won't have to post content to dozens of websites.
Trust me, I feel your pain. Just like you, I used to post frequent updates on the top social media sites, and then wait for them to be liked, retweeted, favorited, and so on. Sometimes I would get a like or two. But more often than not, nothing would happen. Nothing at all!
Your content may be interesting, but not all of it can be successfully shared everywhere. In fact, posting some content on some social media platforms could hurt your business, rather than help it.
So, if you want to get lots of shares, etc. you will have to post different content on different platforms. It is more work, I agree, but it's the only way of getting significant results out of your social media activities.
Every social media site favors a particular type of content. Fortunately, you won't have to post content to dozens of websites.
Focus your efforts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and you should be okay.
1. Let's start with Facebook. There is no other way, because the social media giant continues to grow, and it has recently started to attract a younger audience due to its Messenger Kids application. This means that the next generations will grow to like and use the "real" Facebook platform every day, making it a fantastic opportunity for small business owners like you and me, who will market to them. I know I'm a bit cynical here, but this is the truth! Here's what The Verge has to say about it.
Anyway, let's return to our article. What should you post on Facebook? From my experience, people react positively to most videos that are posted on Facebook. They will dislike salesy videos, though. They want entertainment and information, rather than being sold a product. This means that your task is to create industry-related videos which are fun to watch.
Of course, if you are adventurous, you could try your luck with "live" Facebook videos. Think live customer tech support, for example. Or, if you dislike the idea of going live, create step-by-step video guides, which teach people to use your products or services.
2. Twitter is a social media site that's mostly dedicated to news. This makes it the perfect channel to post industry news, links to industry blog posts (including your own articles, of course) and more. People have recently started to post GIFs as well, and they have quickly become one of the most popular content types on Twitter.
Don't forget to incorporate hashtags in all your Twitter posts. They will significantly increase the chances of your own content being read by a much larger audience.
3. LinkedIn is a network of professionals, so only post professional content there. It is true that some LinkedIn groups are much more relaxed, but it's always better to post company news, for example, to be on the safe side.
Want to hire a new employee? LinkedIn is the perfect place to post that news. Did you receive an award? This is the best platform to let the entire world know about it.
4. Instagram is well known for its photos. Product images may do the job, but only if your products and photos look professional. You can always post other people's high-quality photos, of course.
The alternative is to upload various quotes, which are much easier to create using online tools such as Stencil. Use quotes which are relevant for your industry. Strive to create your own quotes; don't just reuse somebody else's work!
No matter what option you choose, be sure to post high-resolution photos. Nobody likes lo-res images, and most Instagram users simply hate them!
5. What about Pinterest? Many people use Pinterest in ways that are similar with what you do on Instagram, but these two platforms aren't that much alike.
Use Pinterest to curate visuals that belong to a specific category. If you work in the car rental industry, to give you an example, you could curate and post infographics that highlight tips which help you have a great car rental experience.
Why should you post infographics? Because Pinterest uses images that have a big height and a small width. In fact, Pinterest itself recommends people to use images that have a 2:3 width/height ratio.
6. Google+ is an interesting platform, because it is owned by... Google. As a direct consequence, it's easier to get your content featured into Google's search results pages, by simply posting links to it in your Google+ account.
These are the top social media platforms, and now you know what type of content works best on each one of them. Take the time to create and post high quality content, and you will see that your number of followers, tweets, likes and shares will explode!
1. Let's start with Facebook. There is no other way, because the social media giant continues to grow, and it has recently started to attract a younger audience due to its Messenger Kids application. This means that the next generations will grow to like and use the "real" Facebook platform every day, making it a fantastic opportunity for small business owners like you and me, who will market to them. I know I'm a bit cynical here, but this is the truth! Here's what The Verge has to say about it.
Anyway, let's return to our article. What should you post on Facebook? From my experience, people react positively to most videos that are posted on Facebook. They will dislike salesy videos, though. They want entertainment and information, rather than being sold a product. This means that your task is to create industry-related videos which are fun to watch.
Of course, if you are adventurous, you could try your luck with "live" Facebook videos. Think live customer tech support, for example. Or, if you dislike the idea of going live, create step-by-step video guides, which teach people to use your products or services.
2. Twitter is a social media site that's mostly dedicated to news. This makes it the perfect channel to post industry news, links to industry blog posts (including your own articles, of course) and more. People have recently started to post GIFs as well, and they have quickly become one of the most popular content types on Twitter.
Don't forget to incorporate hashtags in all your Twitter posts. They will significantly increase the chances of your own content being read by a much larger audience.
3. LinkedIn is a network of professionals, so only post professional content there. It is true that some LinkedIn groups are much more relaxed, but it's always better to post company news, for example, to be on the safe side.
Want to hire a new employee? LinkedIn is the perfect place to post that news. Did you receive an award? This is the best platform to let the entire world know about it.
4. Instagram is well known for its photos. Product images may do the job, but only if your products and photos look professional. You can always post other people's high-quality photos, of course.
The alternative is to upload various quotes, which are much easier to create using online tools such as Stencil. Use quotes which are relevant for your industry. Strive to create your own quotes; don't just reuse somebody else's work!
No matter what option you choose, be sure to post high-resolution photos. Nobody likes lo-res images, and most Instagram users simply hate them!
5. What about Pinterest? Many people use Pinterest in ways that are similar with what you do on Instagram, but these two platforms aren't that much alike.
Use Pinterest to curate visuals that belong to a specific category. If you work in the car rental industry, to give you an example, you could curate and post infographics that highlight tips which help you have a great car rental experience.
Why should you post infographics? Because Pinterest uses images that have a big height and a small width. In fact, Pinterest itself recommends people to use images that have a 2:3 width/height ratio.
6. Google+ is an interesting platform, because it is owned by... Google. As a direct consequence, it's easier to get your content featured into Google's search results pages, by simply posting links to it in your Google+ account.
These are the top social media platforms, and now you know what type of content works best on each one of them. Take the time to create and post high quality content, and you will see that your number of followers, tweets, likes and shares will explode!