Which Social Media Networks Should I Use?
Which social media networks should I use and why? This is a question we receive frequently at the BlogPaws offices. As part of your overall blog business plan (and you do have a blog business plan, right)…having a strategy and tactical plan behind why you do what you do on social media is pivotal.
You are your own social media manager. It is you who is responsible for garnering traffic, getting new followers, engaging with your audience, and hoping to be found in a sea of e-traffic that moves at lightning speed.
A Simple Social Media Strategy and Plan
- Who: Internal or external?
What: Content per platform?
When: Best times to produce
Where: Platform choice
Why: Purpose
The bottom line is to measure Measure what you can, track what you can, and don’t stress out about what you can’t! If nothing else, remember this one nugget over everything else:
No, you do not have to be everyone and be everything to everybody.
Here are some of the most common social media platforms clearly defined in one of the best infographics I’ve seen:
Engage with your fans and customers wherever they are! If they are on Facebook, consider creating a Page or Group. A Facebook Page is primarily for promoting your brand or product. Facebook Groups are more for growing community among people with a common interest.
“Another way to think of Facebook content and reach is like this,” Chloe DiVita, BlogPaws’ Director of Programs and Events, shares. “Imagine you are driving down a street and each person has a yard sign promoting something they believe in. You can visually see them all, but you probably don’t absorb each one. Certain ones catch your eye and certain neighbors interest you more than others. That was the Facebook feed of 5 years ago, maybe even 6 or 7.”
Fast forward to present day and imagine driving down the same street, twice as fast. Why so fast? Well, the world and people in general are generally less patient these days. We are a society that wants it now! Now imagine every house you drive past has 10 yard signs.
How many yard signs do you feel you can see now? Your mind is only capable of absorbing so much information, just as your Facebook feed can only serve so much content.
Read here –> How to get more people to see your content on Facebook
The more engaged followers you have, the better off you are in the long run. Click here for tips on growing a Twitter account: and remember, slow and steady wins the race.
Twitter also has some changes in the works and a few that recently rolled out, namely:
The ability to turn on an algorithmic timeline: By doing so this timeline feature surfaces tweets Twitter recommends, rather than showing your the time-ordered list of tweets you’d typically see upon logging in to Twitter.
Twitter polls: With the addition of polls, Twitter made to even easier to collect opinions from your audience.
Twitter allows for 141 characters now. That does not mean you need to use every one. Consistently over the years, the studies I read state that shorter tweets, such as those 100 characters or less, tend to get a higher interaction rate than longer tweets. Be creative in what you say. When you’re tweeting a link to your blog post, get creative.
Some other Twitter changes are in the works.
Here are 13 hot tips for promoting a post on Twitter.
Truly, madly, deeply: Yes to Instagram with a purpose.
Want to improve your Instagram game? Check out this roundup of our top five Instagram posts that will help you grow in one weekend:
How Pet Bloggers Can Use Instagram: Recently updated with fresh tips and insights, this list provides in-depth tips to get you thinking through your IG feed.
How to Build an Instagram Pet Following: Want to grow your existing audience? This post features the successful Ruckus the Eskie account. Get inspired by their journey.
How to Create Blog Photos That Brands Love: Though not specific to Instagram, this helpful list of hints from BlogPaws Blogger Outreach and Communications Manager, Felissa Elfenbein. She shares what images work (and don’t work) for bloggers who want to monetize by working with brands.
Instagram Ninja Tips for Bloggers: A roundup of succinct bullet points, this easily-digestible post arms you with actionable steps and advice that you can implement immediately to improve your account. Be sure to check out the list of recommended apps to boost your IG growth.
11 Ways to Grow an Instagram Account: With example photos to illustrate the tips, these high-level tips apply to novice and advanced accounts. Pick a couple to test, adjust, repeat. Then watch your account grow.
Consider pinning images from pin images from their own blogs as well as pictures from other people’s blogs. Follow other that they follow to learn what they are sharing.
“Liking” other people’s pins involves less commitment than actually repining, but it will also show up in their Pinterest news feed. Commenting on a Pin attract greater attention than a “like,” because people tend to read the comments on pins before they share them.
Images matter and so do the images you use on Pinterest. I gravitate towards pictures on my blog, but in all honestly, vertical images show up better on Pinterest. An often used size is 700 x 900.
Video
According to the Washington Post, within in 5 years, 80 percent of the whole Internet will be online video. Read that again: 80 percent.
If video is a part of your blog’s overall social media strategy, then knowing when to post and what to post are key.
Read here –-> How to Effectively Use Video to Grow Blog Traffic
How to Do a Social Media Strategy
A social media strategy need not be complicated. I use a simple spreadsheet like that illustrated below. The example showcases Facebook, but you would follow this format to first define your social media goals.
Once the goals are established, consider using a tool like Trello to help organize your content, times, and further define strategy.
There are literally hundreds of social media platforms these days. You need not be on all of them.
Join the BlogPaws #BoostYourBlog10K Challenge to get tips each week and engage directly with Aimee Beltran, Director of Community Education, and other BlogPaws staff so that you can grow your blog and create a social media strategy that soars.
What is your biggest social media challenge?
About the Author: Carol Bryant is the Marketing and Social Media Manager for BlogPaws and runs her own blog, Fidose of Reality and its fundraising arm, Wigglebutt Warriors®. When not busy playing with her Cocker Spaniel, Dexter, she stays far away from cooking. Her trademark is her mantra and is tattooed on her arm: My Heart Beats Dog.®
Images: Annette Shaff /Shutterstock.com
Images: hafakot/ Shutterstock.com
