We all know that social media is an invaluable tool for marketing – although, some marketers may consider it a necessary evil. Because, let’s face it, social media moves quickly and it’s a real challenge to both capture and then retain the attention of your audience.

Don’t forget, no one cares what you have to say unless it is both interesting and presented in an interesting way.

Let’s dive into Ten Tips for Social Media Marketing:

1. Start With a Strategy – You should never post on social media without a plan. Identify goals and narrow down your audience.
   
   
2. Be Careful, the Internet is Forever – Ok yes, there is a “delete” button. However, what is posted online can almost always be found again, even if deleted. Think twice before posting something that could reflect negatively on your brand.
   
   
3. Play the Game – Take the time to understand the social media platforms your brand is a part of. Your audience will use each of them differently. For example, status updates are for Facebook, not Instagram or Snapchat. Users will be expecting brands to use these platforms appropriately (read: similarly to how they use them themselves). It’s wise to come up with a unique strategy for each platform.
   
   
4. Be Consistent – So, with number 3 in mind, remember that you also need to be consistent in how you present your brand to the world. Although you can and should adapt to each platform, you need to build and nurture an overall brand personality that is consistent across all platforms.
   
   
5. You Can Be Casual! – Make your posts conversational and make use of emojis! Just make sure you do some background research on how the general public uses the emojis you’re choosing, for instance, “🙂” does not mean “happy!” It’s typically used sarcastically for something annoying. (You can thank us later for that mini emoji lesson!)
   
   
6. Be Authentic – Today’s internet users are skilled at separating what is “real” and what is “fake.” The goal is obviously NOT to be considered fake news. Take the time to create genuine content instead of rushing out a piece that could be perceived as fake.
   
   
7. Social Media = Heavy Visual – Social media thrives with using pictures and videos and special visual effects. In a world of short attention spans and ease of scrolling, posts with too many words — and not enough pictures — are likely to cause your content to be glossed over.
   
   
8. Engagement is Effective – Using your social media to create a community of followers that actually consume and engage with your content is more valuable than most realize. Social media is about connecting and networking; your brand’s social presence is no different. Which leads us to number 9 …
   
   
9. Be Social – Once you have some followers engaging with your posts, make sure you engage back with them! Respond to comments, answer questions, and create relationships with your audience.
   
   And, lastly ...
   
   
10. Don’t Forget to Analyze – Make sure you are maintaining a record of your social media marketing so you can go back and analyze what is working and what is not working. Looking into the statistics of your views, shares, and comments will only help you make better social media posts in the future.