social media: getting the basics right

When starting a new venture, social media will be an intrinsic part of guaranteeing that your business is seen by many. We offer advice to ensure you start off your campaign the way you mean to go on.

Setting up your accounts

Before you embark on an exciting campaign to promote your business, you must first set up your social media accounts. Using a name or handle that is as close to your business name as possible, without sounding tacky, rude or even too similar to a competitor, is of utmost importance. Before you even decide on a business name, you could use a name checking website to see if the name you want on various platforms and the website address are available. Once you have got the accounts you want, it is important to ensure consistency across the board. Using the same profile picture, background or header image and the same profile bio are all important things. It is so much easier to use the exact same information anyway, so there is no reason to complicate matters at this stage. Be sure to keep the account hidden until you are ready to go public with everything. Check that it does not show twenty-seven different attempts to resize your profile picture and that all the information is accurate.

Share content

Deciding which types of content to share can be tricky. However, ultimately, you want people to be drawn to your social media account, whichever platform you use, and engage with your posts. Although brand consistency is important, people do not want to see the same content again and again. Predictability is not necessarily your friend when it comes to social media. People like to be surprised and made to think and re-think. Using a variety of different post types is important. From photographs to inspirational messages, news stories to blog posts, polls to competitions, there are so many things to choose from.

Be social

Posting on social media on a regular basis does not equate to the job being done and allowing you to move onto the next thing on your to do list. The clue is in the name social media; you must be social. If someone responds to a post you have shared, be sure to reply. Even just clicking ‘like’ regarding their comment is a start. However, the best companies will engage effectively with their customers, both potential and existing. People will often ask questions and they are visible for all to see. “How much is this service?” with absolutely zero response from your business will show the world that you are not that keen for their custom.

Reach out for help

Social media can be a real challenge. We may feel that we know Facebook inside out as have been the proud holder of a personal account since 2007. Unfortunately, it is not that straight forward hence why there are people out there who can help you, like Good At Marketing who claim to do exactly what their name suggests. Help in setting up accounts to help deciding what is the most appropriate type of content to offer and many other things in between will all help to make your business a success. There are also many social media experts, who hold workshops and webinars for you to gain an insight into how it all works. They are definitely worth checking out.