Many people think social media is an easy, no fuss, instant results marketing tool because everyone uses it. After all, if your grandma can use Facebook, surely your business can too! Don’t let any personal proficiency trick you. Running a personal page and running business pages are very different! It isn’t always easy for people who aren’t marketers to see and understand which tools and features make a difference. If you are a dedicated DIYer who wants to handle your own SEO services, you need to know your stuff!
For instance, you shouldn’t be posting on Facebook the same way you are posting on Twitter. Although, it can be tempting since it is so easy to just share the same content onto all your social media platforms with one click of a button. Anyone can learn how to navigate and post on social media, but when it comes to marketing your business, different platforms cater to different crowds.
Twitter is designed for users to receive the newest information first followed by up-to-date, short content. Facebook, however, is very extensive. Facebook users can create photo albums, video albums, write long posts, make live videos, and so much more. Twitter is short-form, while Facebook is extensive.
Here’s how you can use each social media platform to grow your business and improve your SEO.
Twitter separates itself from other social media outlets because it limits posts to only 140 characters. Yes, characters! That includes spaces and characters. It makes marketers carefully choose their words and their message. So if you are attaching or linking to an article, write up a catchy one-liner that summarizes your article.
When you are writing your post, you have to have a one-click mind. What would make someone click on this link? Your short post should draw people in to want to read more. Also keep in mind that most Twitter users are either millennials who give updates about their lives or news or sports reporters who tweet out breaking stories or updates.
Facebook is meant to spark conversation. Whether it be controversial or light-hearted, people have the freedom to comment whatever they please, post an emotion, or publicly share posts with their friends. Facebook’s news feed has gone through so many changes time and time again, but it still has a good balance between professional and personal.
For marketing purposes, your business should stick to a conversational tone. Try to get people talking and engaged about your posts or your services/products. If your posts sound like advertisements, people might mark them as spam or just assume it is. You want your posts to blend in with the newsfeed, while also standing out enough that people will notice you. This is why you should always attach some sort of visual content with your Facebook posts. People will be able to notice and understand a picture or video before they can process a paragraph of words.
Even if you are attaching a link to an article, don’t just write a summary of what they can read. Make your post appealing to them. For example, if you are sharing a link to an article on the evolution of self-driving cars, here is a sample: “It is estimated that by 2026, half of the vehicles on state highways will be self-driving cars! Have you ever experienced life in a self-driving car? Let us know all about it below!”
LinkedIn is the social platform for networking and recruitment. It is mostly used by professionals, businesses, or new college graduates out on the market. It is also a place where industry experts can share content and discuss trends. Share your original ideas by writing and posting your own articles on your LinkedIn profile or by linking to your blog or website.
Since LinkedIn is a professional site, your posts shouldn’t have an airy tone like in your other channels. You want to spark discussions with other people in your field of industry and create new contacts. You can still keep it conversational by rewriting your posts to invite comments.
LinkedIn is all about creating a personal brand. Make sure anything that stems from your page is about your industry, your business, or something your brand is passionate about. Instead of trying to sell your business, invite others to discuss the trends or topics in your field. Make your followers feel included. In a world of professionals, you want to sound familiar to them so they will join in on the conversation.
Google+
Google+ is a newer social media outlet that is growing little by little. While it may seem similar to some other platforms, don’t assume you should be utilizing it as you do Instagram or Facebook. Google+ places a large emphasis on pictures. Other than Twitter, this is one of the only major social media outlets that lets you share animated GIFs.
Because of the importance of pictures, rework your content to post pictures that tell a story and highlight your message. The most eye-catching posts are the ones that contain the least amount of text. Invest in a photographer who can find all the right angles. Give a little preview into the picture with your text, but stay away from long content. You might even want to consider creating your own GIF to tell your story. It’s a lot shorter than a video and it automatically plays back. This can show your followers how some of your products work.
Even if you aren’t personally familiar with Google+, don’t overlook its importance! Google gives its own social media service weight when determining SEO results. You are always in competition with other San Antonio businesses in your industry for the top spot in your relevant keywords. If all else is even between you and your close competitor, the one with a solid Google+ page will end up ranking higher. Whether you do your SEO services in-house or outsource them, you MUST optimize your Google+ page if you want to make it to the top!
Instagram is centered around phots and videos – and hashtags. Hashtags are so attractive to great marketers because it makes it easier to be a part of bigger conversations. The amount of hashtags are endless. You can even search for posts by hashtags. If you own a boutique, post a photo or a boomerang of someone rocking one of the outfits and include #ootd in your post. OOTD means “outfit of the day.” If you own a gym, use #WorkoutWednesday or #MotivationMonday #FlexFriday on specific days of the week that follow the trends. The options are endless.
You can be a part of an existing hashtag, or you can start your own hashtag and use it for marketing. Crowdsource your content, and get your followers to use your hashtag in their posts. Then, you can see what your audience is talking about and like their post. Our society loves to be noticed.
Be sure to also tag your location. If you are out at an event, this can be very beneficial because you could draw in a new audience. Many people will click on a location to see what’s going on over there. Plus, if people are already at your tagged location, they might even go find you. Use this opportunity to make your content really stand out. This will attract others to click on your photo or video and see what you have to say.
If you have a business in San Antonio or Dubai, we are here to help! Digital Marketing Sapiens offers SEO services for all types of businesses all over the world. Give us a call at (210) 582-5842 or email us at socialmedia@DMSapiens.com to figure out what SEO services your San Antonio business needs now!