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As social media becomes an increasingly popular way to market your business, it’s essential to make sure you’re following the proper rules. This article will explore some of the most common mistakes people make when using social media for marketing and how to avoid them. We’ll also look at some of the best practices for social media marketing and how to make the most of your efforts. Let’s get started!
The Top 5 Rules for Social Media Marketing
Which might not be what you think!
1. Make sure you’re using the correct social media platform for your business.
Social Media marketing is a valuable tool, but it’s vital to understand that each network has its own “personality,” as it were. It’s imperative to know what content to post on what platform. It’s also necessary to recognize the lifespan of a post on each network.
For example – Facebook and Instagram posts should be somewhat more engaging and personal than Twitter posts which can be more impersonal.
Knowing how long your social media posts will live can assist you in better planning your marketing campaign. So let’s look at what those durations are and how they influence your content strategy.
You’ll likely find different answers from different sources, but I think this is a good general rule that I found from The Refinery.
Different social networks have different lifespans for posts, so it’s crucial you learn which content will be best for which network.
When planning out your content and the social media channels you choose to house your content on, you need to keep in mind the lifespan of a post. A helpful metric to pay attention to is the platform’s half-life. Since content can live forever on a platform, the lifespan is the amount of time it takes for a post to receive HALF of its total engagements. Hence, its’ half-life. ???? As you can see from the chart, the half-life lifespan of posts varies by platform.
Lifespan of each social media platform
- Twitter: 15 minutes
- TikTok & Snapchat: Start decaying immediately unless viral
- Facebook: 6 hours
- Instagram: 48 hours
- LinkedIn: 24 hours
- YouTube: 20 days or more
- Pinterest: 4 months
- Blog Post: Over a year
Unlike posts on other social media sites, Pinterest pins are immortal. They could show up in a user’s feed weeks or even months after you initially post them if they’re relevant to a user’s search because its function is more of a search engine than a social platform. That’s why at CORE Brand Marketing Group, we prefer this platform over most when it comes to getting your best bang for your buck!
Take the time to learn what content should go where, and stick to those guidelines to reach the correct type of customer.
2. Create consistent quality content.
If you aren’t posting, you aren’t visible on social media. So not only should you post visual images, videos, and captions frequently, but your content needs to be valuable to your ideal audience. Luckily, you don’t need to be on every social channel. If you can focus on one or two channels to leverage that make the most sense for your niche and do them right, you won’t get overwhelmed or spread yourself too thin.
I focus on Pinterest and Instagram for my social media branding.
The rule of quality over quantity will always apply when how often to post.
3. Focus on More than Just Followers.
Sure, having many followers might appear to be a positive thing, but just possessing the numbers may not guarantee how much business you’re getting. Some companies buy followers to have an increased number displayed on their profiles. Still, it’s merely fraudulent engagement – you don’t have that many people following your page, and those phony supporters won’t somehow turn into actual revenue.
Instead of stressing about the number of individuals who follow your page, concentrate on providing them with a reason to do so. People will stay around if you offer proper material.
You don’t need 10k followers to be successful no matter what marketers tell you. Remember, ten followers who buy your product is better than 1,000 who don’t. The number of likes and followers doesn’t directly correlate to any measurable value such as sales or the success of a social media page. Instead, focus on building a quality fan base, even if that means your follower count goes backward.
You’d rather have a smaller follower count who engages with your brand than thousands who are unconnected and stagnant.
4. Engage With Followers as Much as Possible.
Small businesses tend to have a more personal connection with their customers than giant corporations. This is good news for your personal brand. Your audience appreciates it when they feel the brand cares about them. For you, that means attempting to connect with them as much as possible.
It also helps if you ask questions and encourages conversation! Be sure to engage with other users regularly by liking and commenting on their posts, resharing them, and even starting discussions via direct messaging or forums. Do everything possible to improve the user experience.
The less your visitors feel like a statistic, the better.
Ep 108: How To Generate Sales Using Social Media Without Selling
5. If You’re Not Seeing Results, Rethink Your Strategy.
While it’s difficult to calculate a return on investment for social media branding and marketing, it’s possible to get a read on how interactive your audience is. Focus on your engagement rate instead of your follower count to see how interested people are in your brand content.
Establishing measurable objectives is critical, not vague concepts like “gain more followers.” Creating clear goals will allow you to measure the amount of time and money you put into achieving a return.
Total engagements typically represent a sum of likes, comments, shares, saves, and sometimes include clicks, depending on which platform you’re using. Take that sum and divide by your total follower count at posting to get your engagement rate by post.
If you go into your Instagram insights, for example, track monthly your CONTENT INTERACTIONS and note your current follower count – those two numbers will give you your Engagement Rate. When you follow that % month over month, you’ll monitor how well your content performs.
Don’t be scared to make daring changes – if your posts are becoming stale for followers, don’t be afraid to post new things, including Instagram Reels.
Once I switched to a consistent Reels strategy as I teach in my Insta-Unlock Workshop, my engagement went from 18% to 38% in just one month.
5 Social Media Captions You Should Avoid
Recap – Social Media Marketing Rules
Social media marketing can be a great way to reach more people and engage with them in various ways. However, it’s essential to make sure you’re following the proper rules and using the correct platforms for your business. You also need to make sure you’re posting relevant and engaging content, engaging with other users regularly, and giving back to your audience.
By doing all this, you’ll be sure to make the most of your social media marketing efforts!
When it comes to Instagram – as you know it’s a crowded place, and if you’re not acknowledging the latest algorithm changes, you may be struggling to get your content seen. Don’t worry, though-I’ve got you covered! Inside the Boost Your Brand Exposure download, I’ll share all the latest Instagram Algorithm insights so that you can plan out your marketing strategy and make sure your brand is getting the exposure it deserves. Download at kristinkorn.com/IGhelp or below!
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