1. Choosing Channels
If you’re a small operation, it’s best to stick to a few social channels. If you’re a law firm, Linkedin may be best. If you’re a political campaign, Facebook may be best. There isn’t a general rule of thumb. Research the presence of similar businesses, which ones are successful, and what platforms they’re using. Linkedin may be best for most law firms, but if you specialize in, say, immigration law, Facebook might be best. If Facebook has an abundance of immigration-related pages, groups, and conversation, this could be the best place to be.
2. Choosing Tone
What tone best fits your business? If you’re a financial advisor, law firm, or dental office, a professional tone is commonplace. This doesn’t mean you need to follow suit. Sharing dental memes or taking on a playful tone may be more effective. A general direction should be taken at first, but it doesn’t have to be set in stone. If one thing doesn’t work, change it.
3. Content Production
What type of content is best for you? This could be video production, photography, blogging, reposting, or all of the above.
4. Consistency
Your audience notices when you post, not when you don’t. Don’t worry if you haven’t posted for two weeks or a month. If, when you do post, it’s valuable and engaging, your audience is more likely to stick around, repost, and or comment. Posting photos three times a week and inundating your audience can cause them to unfollow. One value-driven video per week can be better suited.
5. Feedback
Try to get feedback from your followers. This can be formal outreach through direct message or just asking friends that follow you.
6. Ad spend
How much should you spend on advertising or promoting posts through social media? Generally, it’s best not to base this on your revenue. What business result are you hoping for? Is it brand awareness, newsletter sign-ups, appointments? This is vital in understanding the volume of click-throughs you want, and how much ad spend will achieve that.