Social media is a priority for many businesses these days.  While major corporations receive thousands of Facebook or Twitter followers without much effort, many small businesses struggle with achieving a high number of fan followers.  The following guidelines are designed to optimize your business’ social media presence:

1. Engage Your Audience

Social media followers desire engagement, period.  These individuals don’t want to be talked at, but rather have conversations with the pages they follow.  You should avoid a constant barrage of posts promoting your business or requesting the user to “buy this” or “click here”.  While some promotional posts are acceptable, restructure your social media strategy around the needs of the followers- not the needs of your business.  Be real when you respond to follower postings on a friendship basis, opposed to strictly a business relationship.

2. Create Valuable Content

Postings that are useful and relevant to your business are the most effective way to increase followings.  This relates to the previous section about engagement.  If the audience doesn’t find any of your postings useful or interesting, you will blocked easily.  Mix up content in your posting- this can include articles relating to your industry, videos that describe a service you offer, and attention-grabbing photos.  Variations in media make your social media unique and will keep your audience interested in your postings.

3. Community Engagement

No matter the size of the business, actively following community events should be emphasized with regard to social media.  This provides a “human” characteristic to your social media, and lets followers know that your community is important them.  This can be a great conversation starter, or simply a source for some business PR credit.  The use of hashtags on Facebook and Twitter is also a great way to organize conversations and target individuals who are discussing the topic currently.

4. Timing Is Important

Every social media platform has times of low and high traffic.  Research when your followers are actively posting and establish an effective timeframe to create posts of your own.  For example, it is not a good strategy to focus on social media postings near the end of the work day, or at the very beginning of the morning when users are most likely involved in business of their own.  Watch for high-traffic trends, and target followers with content-rich postings accordingly.

5. Short & Sweet

Social Media followers don’t want to read lengthy paragraphs or epilogue-like postings.  Be direct with what you’re trying to say, and eliminate all unnecessary “fluff”.  Most companies utilize social media, so the goal is to deliver the most useful and interesting information in the shortest amount of copy.  If you’ve got more to say, or want to quote an article simply paste the link URL into your post or in the comments section of your Facebook page.  This gives the user the option to continue following your post or ignore it without being intrusive and complicating things with too much text.

6. Be Clear With CTAs (Call To Action)

It’s astonishing how positive responses can be if you simply ask followers to do something.  If you include a small plug to “like” something or “comment” on an item you may be surprised at the response.  Using the word “would”, “where,” “when,” “would” and “should” increases engagement.  Often times, users prefer to save time by “liking” a post, rather than writing a comment- so request it!

7. Promote Your Followers

Promoting your clients or fans on your page builds credibility, trust and mutual satisfaction.  Rather than continually blowing your own horn, involve others that are associated with your business or page.  The community will see that you truly appreciate your followers, and this can directly impact positive word of mouth advertising- all at no cost to you (aside from your time).