Large, Small, or No Budget At All: Social Media Tips and Tricks for All! (#1)

Back in January I was asked to moderate a panel on millennials. More specifically, the importance of social media and how it is intertwined in every aspect of a millennial's every day life. It's essentially baked into their DNA BUT that is a topic for another day.

Why the millenial introduction? Because that experience opened a relationship with a non-profit organization that has a very small and very limited budget for social media. They have often reached out for tips, tricks, and help in how to improve their social media reach and offer an engaging experience to their followers. Thus, the reason for this post!

First up, let's discuss Facebook!

According to the Pew Research Center, people have varying reasons for using Facebook "-but everything starts with sharing and laughs."

Tip: Connect with words and pictures

Photos account for 93% of the most engaging posts. They generate 53% more likes, 104% more comments, and 84% more click-throughs. When sharing a photo, be strategic and use vivid imagery or videos. For example, if you are a company that sells pools you might want to post maintenance suggestions, tips, and tricks depending on the season, pool safety tips, seasonal ideas for backyard fun, or even a weekly disaster (which could be done along with asking followers to "caption this!").

Make sure you are acting like a friend, not a business. Facebook is about the personal experience so simply promoting yourself and your products will not get you anywhere. Share in an informal and fun way. Did you go out for a team lunch or have a friendly (but very competitive) game of air hockey? Share that! People want to know what you are doing, not just what products you sell -- and remember those pictures!

Tip: Plan ahead and post consistent content

Use an editorial calendar. There are great platforms out there to help you plan and schedule your posts. Personally, I like to use Hootsuite and they recently added on Instagram! There are a lot of theories out there about which day and time is best to post. Here is what I have found out: people are on Facebook relatively all day, every day. The posts that I have received the most engagement on are typically posted between 1:30 and 3:30 during the week. Experiment, see what works for you!

Be consistent in the quality and types of ongoing posts. This can help your audience know what types of messages to expect from you. Jump on the bandwagon and go ahead with your #MotivationMonday or #TBT (Throwback Thursday) posts!

Tip: 30/60/10 ratio

30% owned content, 60% curated content, 10% promotional content. What's this mean? Well, 30% of what you share should be content that you created and that provides value to your followers, such as blog posts, photos and videos. Curated content can be links to and posts from others that are related to your brand, industry, and community (#MadeInUtica). This content should always, always contain more than just a link. Add in your own comment/caption to include that personal touch and finally promotional content is your "calls to action." This content includes selling your products or services, posting about your amazing customers and showing off your work!

Tip: Have some fun with a contest

Holding a contest can increase fans and brand awareness. They enable you to engage and converse with your audience. Contests help to deepen the connection that the followers have with your brand (when someone shares something personal, like a photo or story, it not only allows them their 15 minutes of fame, but it shows they are naturally invested in your brand.)

Here is an example:

Boilermaker Facebook contest from December!

Tip: Be responsive

Make sure you respond to comments quickly. If you do this on a regular basis, you'll get more engagement. People want to know they are being heard. -- And if a follower comments something negative, do not automatically hide or delete the comment. Try to respond in a positive way and help the customer or simply ignore the comment and let things work out on their own. If you delete every bad thing that is said about you, people are going to think you "fluff" the comments. As long as the comment isn't inappropriate or derogative, go ahead and let the person vent.

I hope these tips help you! If you have any questions or need help with anything, go ahead and comment below or contact me at Quadsimia!

Stay tuned, next time I will be blogging tips and tricks for Instagram!

Do you have a specific tip that worked for you? Share your experience!