The 6 simplest ways to stay social

The 6 Simplest Ways to Stay Social
What do people see when they visit your Facebook page? Hopefully not cobwebs and dust bunnies.
Everyone knows that they need to be on social media. They set up their accounts, add the corresponding icons to the home page of their website and then…nothing. What good is a Twitter account that produces 5 tweets a year or a Facebook page that hasn’t seen an update since George Bush was president? (Hint: it’s really not good). And if you’re promoting your social media presence but are virtually non-existent, it’s worse than having no presence at all.
I cringe when I see how many businesses set up their social media accounts and then rarely use them. But if you’re one of those offenders…I don’t blame you. The truth is, social media can sometimes seem like a burden, another few items often left uncrossed on an endless to do list.
But it’s not. Social media is worthy of your time, thought and resources, even on the busiest of days (Not convinced? Check out the stats in the infographic below). So here’s 6 quick and easy ways to keep up your social presence on the days you just don’t have time to think.

Turn to industry news.

One of the ways you can become a great resource to your fans and followers is by sharing relevant industry news. Be choosy, though. Post items that will be of interest to your customers, and only post from reliable resources. Sharing what you’ve learned positions you as helpful and knowledgeable, and can be helpful on days when you don’t have the time to generate content of your own.

Look around you.

What’s going on in your office? If you’ve recently won any awards or received any positive press, share it. Holding a food drive or running a 5K? Let people know. These things make your company appear more personable (and they make quick, easy updates for you to share). If you can’t find anything newsworthy within your own walls, check your social channels and see what’s going on with your audience. They might have news you can comment on, repin, retweet or share with your followers.

Enlist helpers.

Keeping all your social accounts updated can be especially difficult if you don’t have a team of people to rely on. Avoid social silence by looking outside your department for help. Ask others to send you relevant and interesting articles, news and company anecdotes so you won’t be the only one with your ear to the ground.

Tune in to what’s trending.

What’s going on in the world right now? A comment on world news or even pop culture might be appropriate, but steer clear of controversial topics or trending stories that are completely irrelevant to your business, such as your opinions on the twerk heard ‘round the world. Check hashtags.org for information on trending hashtags and see if you have something to add to the conversation.

Recycle.

Share old blog posts and articles from past newsletters—as long as the content is still relevant, it’s worthy of posting. Your audience could have missed it the first time around, or it could serve as a good refresher.  Even some of the most social media savvy people reuse their content. It’s not lazy, it’s resourceful.

Plan ahead.

Tools such as HootSuite allow you to schedule posts to your social networks. That means your day full of back-to-back meetings is no excuse to fall silent.
Now a word of caution: The most successful social presence does not rely only on quick and easy tips such as these. A solid strategy should be at the foundation of everything you do, and a consistent effort should be built on top of it. Because after all, the goal isn’t just to shout into the social abyss day after day. It’s to hear, be heard and enhance your business.
If your fans and followers are currently hearing crickets, we can help. Learn more about our Script Your Story sessions.

social-media-marketing-benefits

(Infographic via.)

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