Making Social Media Work for You: How to Use Twitter, LinkedIn & More Without Hiring a Marketing Pro
Your marketing team puts in long hours to build buzz and generate leads. They could use a break.
No, not that kind of break. No need to close the office for a week and send the team off to Cabo on the company dime. (Wouldn’t that be nice?)
Consider this a more productive kind of break — a break from the workaday drudgery that keeps your team from doing truly creative, transcendental work that draws notice from prospective customers and envy from erstwhile competitors.
It starts with an effective social media strategy that supports the lead generation equivalent of passive income: a flush stream that requires minimal effort on your end.
Let’s take a look at how this strategy might look for five common social media platforms: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
LinkedIn is a pretty buttoned-up platform, but that doesn’t mean your account has to be dry and boring. Here’s (some of) what you need to do to get the most out of your LinkedIn profile:
- Completely fill out your contact details and company information, including company size
- Compose a succinct description of what your company actually does — don’t get into the weeds about verticals, processes, and the like
- Post at least one piece of original content each week, and cross-post on your corporate blog if it makes sense (this aerospace company’s publishing pattern is instructive)
- Join relevant industry groups, follow fellow thought leaders, and actually engage with both
Twitter is a tricky one. It’s easy to get sucked into conversations one might generously characterize as unprofessional here. Here’s how to stay on the straight and narrow:
- Say more with fewer words (see how this golfer’s Twitter profile showcases his love of the sport without ever saying as much)
- Introduce self-promotional links and links to off-site blog posts with multi-tweet threads
- Follow and retweet thought leaders in the hopes that they do the same (but don’t spam them)
Everyone and their grandparents (literally) use Facebook. With such a diverse audience, how can you be sure you’re speaking to the right groups? Try:
- Running regular contests and promotions to build buzz and attract real engagement
- Turn your Facebook feed into an ad hoc customer support portal — the more transparent, the better
- Publish plenty of non-promotional content; “out and about” posts focusing on charitable work and community support are always welcome
More than any other platform on this list, Instagram is about looking good. Make your products, services, and brand shine here by:
- Adding multi-post “fashion shoots” featuring different products to your Instagram story
- Making an open call for “candid” follower submissions featuring your products and sharing your favorites with your followers
- Hashtagging #nofilter wherever appropriate — seriously, it’s not a tired cliche yet, and if your products look that good without any help…
What’s Your Favorite Social Media Platform?
Is your favorite social media platform on this list?
For many B2B marketers, it’s not even close; LinkedIn wins hands down. For B2C marketers targeting younger audiences, Instagram and Snapchat are hard to beat; for older or all-ages audiences, Facebook reigns supreme.
The good news is, you don’t have to pick favorites. Nor must you commit to loving any of the five platforms on this list above all others. A truly comprehensive social media strategy usually trumps a first-rate niche strategy that incorporates just one or two niche platforms.
Related Posts
