For great results from social media, it’s important to participate every day. What does that really mean? If you’re posting daily, you’re on the right track – but that’s only the start. There are many tasks you should take care of each day.
For example:
Check Trending Topics and Get Involved
Facebook and Twitter provide easy ways to find out what topics are hot on the platforms. Google Trends can also give you great ideas for topics to get involved in. Choose topics carefully, avoiding controversy and focusing on audiences that would care about your brand.
Respond to Mentions
A customized response to each mention of your brand shows the public you are listening. If you want to build a stronger relationship and demonstrate real appreciation, consider including a custom GIF image in your reply. This makes the message more memorable.
Get Involved in Real-Time Conversations
Twitter chats – real-time conversations focused around a topic with a #chat hashtag – give you the chance to chat with dozens of people. Follow the conversation and respond where you can … you may end up with a handful of motivated, influential followers.
Optimize Your Social Sharing Based on Results
No matter which platforms you’re involved in, your analytics suite is your best friend for making the most of your time. Each morning, check the previous day’s social performance, then queue up the most popular content to be shared again in the future.
Curate Helpful Content for Your Audience
Curate Helpful Content for Your AudienceRetweeting and sharing others’ content is perhaps the most effective way to show you appreciate them – building trust and influence. Get familiar with different curation approaches, like Twitter lists or Moments, so you can create more value-added experiences for your followers.
Post, Post, Post
Of course, posting is the lifeblood of keeping your social media followers engaged. You should post at least once per platform per day – but for many social networks, that isn’t enough. Each one has established its own norms for what’s considered sufficient posting:
Twitter: 1-6 posts
Facebook: 1-2 posts
Google Plus: 1-2 posts
Instagram: 1-3 posts
LinkedIn: 1-2 posts
Respond to Inbound Messages
Automated responses are the scourge of social media. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can ignore replies you get soon after following or interacting with someone. Always assume the best: It only takes 30 seconds to dash off a quick response to a follower or influencer.
Find Potential Customers
There’s a whole world of social media users who may not know about your brand, but need what you have to offer. Identify generic terms they might use when talking about problems your products or services can solve. Then, be sure to search for relevant conversations daily.