Social media. It’s a headache for many small businesses. How much should you post? When should you post? What should you post about? How do you increase results and return on your time investment? And where do you start?
There are so many questions – and when resources and budgets are limited, you need to focus your energies to make the most out of social media for your business.
So, how much should you post?
It’s the age-old debate of quality vs quantity.
In an ideal world, you’d post one or two quality posts per day – but we don’t all have time or resources for that.
In reality, 2-3 times per week is strong enough to get your platforms noticed – without being ‘in the face’ of your audience.
But it’s not all about quantity. You could put all of your energy into posting once per day, but what’s the point if that post isn’t engaging with all those that see it?
Quality is essential. There is so much noise on social media – particularly post-pandemic, as many businesses have adopted a ‘DIY’ approach to social media marketing after recognising its importance. Your content needs to stand out ahead of the crowd to engage your audience properly.
Getting the message right
Take some time to plan what it is your audience actually want to know, and then spend your time creating content that will actually interest or help them. Perhaps that’s about showcasing how you understand and can help them to overcome their pain points, or sharing news/advice that’ll help them in reaching their goals.
Your message is key to engagement, and engagement is key to results.
Different rules for different platforms
Different social media platforms – from Facebook to Instagram, and Twitter to LinkedIn – all have different ‘rules’ for best practice posting.
While the rough quantity measures remain similar, it’s important to think about how you’re tailoring that content to the different platforms’ audiences. Simply posting the same thing on LinkedIn that you’ve just put up on Facebook can save time, but it can also do more harm than good. You should also consider how your content is best posted on the different platforms – eg for Facebook, is it best as a post on its own, a story or as part of a group?
You want your audience to resonate with the content, that means tweaking it to suit different platforms and their features.
Broadcasting vs listening
One thing that remains constant across all platforms is the need to balance ‘broadcasting’ with ‘listening’. A close balance begins to create a conversation – where your audience feel welcome and willing to engage with your content.
Consider splitting the time you’re investing on social media equally between ‘posting’ and ‘interacting’. It’s not all about you and your company – consider commenting and engaging with others’ posts to share your views, guidance and advice. This will extend the reach of your brand beyond those that follow you.
Creating consistency
Remember, however often you decide to post, social media is about consistency – so set a posting plan you can stick to. Even if that means posting just once each week.
It’s much better that you’re putting your energy into one quality post each week, than 3-4 average posts that will yield minimal engagement.
To find out more about how you can make the most out of social media for your business, read our blog here.
Or book your free communications review here – and we’ll tell you what you’re doing well, and give you some ideas for improvement.
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