Small But Mighty
Busy business owners may not have time to do a full social media audit, but there are some quick wins that will definitely support you and your business. I am also including 10 goals for you to consider.
Update each social media profile
When was the last time you logged in to each social media profile and made sure that all of the ‘boxes’ were filled in? These ‘boxes’ change on a regular basis and you could be missing out on a new feature that could increase your digital asset value and help you appear in both search and AI chat results. For instance, that old Facebook Profile will let you link to all of your other social media platforms! I recommend doing this every six months. Make sure your logos and descriptions are consistent too and make sure you only have one profile for each platform.
Goal: Log in and update all of your social media accounts once every six months.
Search for and delete duplicate accounts
I worked with one client who had six YouTube accounts because they didn’t keep their login details so every time they published a new video, a staff member would create a new YouTube account with a different email address. There are a lot of individuals and enterprises that have duplicate or multiple accounts that they don’t need. Finding the login details or reissuing passwords can take time, but the reality is that these duplicate profiles reduce your chances of appearing in aligned search results. Make sure you also take a backup of the account and the content there before you delete the profile.
Goal: Keep all of your login details up to date and accessible to people who need it so you never create another duplicate account.
Check your website social media links
Have you listed all of your social media profiles on your business website and when you click on the logos, does it take the website visitor to the right account? I am always staggered by the number of businesses that have forgotten to include all of their social media profiles on their website and haven’t added these links to their Google Business Profile https://business.google.com either.
Goal: Review your website functionality after every update and make sure all social media logo links work.
Invite key people to follow you
When was the last time you invited your key clients, stakeholders and referral partners to follow you on your socials and click the Notification Bell so that they see more of your content in their newsfeed? Yes, the logos may be visible on your email signature, email newsletter and/or website but do you ever provide instructions to ‘Follow us’ as well? When you onboard a new client, do you invite them to follow you as part of your onboarding process? As a minimum, I would suggest that you invite every person who contacts you via email, phone, text, DM etc to connect with you on LinkedIn – from now on (my three favourite words). If they don’t buy from you now, they may remember you in the future.
Goal: Invite 80 per cent of everyone you meet online or in person to connect on LinkedIn.
Follow people and enterprises that are important to you
If you want to support word of mouth referrals and potential search results, you need to be connected and that means making sure that you follow your supporters. When was the last time you liked and commented on one of their social media posts? This process will help you curate your own newsfeed with content that will matter to your business. If you support others, they are more likely to support you.
Goal: Engage with the newsfeed of the most aligned social media platform for your business once a week for 10 minutes.
Write reviews for others
When was the last time you wrote a review for someone? If you sign up to Local Guides Connect https://www.localguidesconnect.com, your Google reviews will earn points and your reviews will appear above other reviews which is fantastic free publicity. Don’t just stick with Google Reviews either! Facebook reviews will appear in Bing / Microsoft Edge results and there are far fewer reviews there so you can really stand out. Make sure your own business has a website page for reviews so you can publish other reviews you receive directly without asking your clients to do any extra work (apart from getting their permission to publish it or you can share it anonymously).
Goal: Write one review for someone else once a week.
Revisit your posting strategy
Is it consistent (at least once a week)? Is it quality (within your style guide)? Do you share a variety of content (images, videos, polls, carousels)? Is it systemised (not necessarily automated)? Do you batch produce content and schedule it? Do you engage with all comments? Personally, I recommend that all content be published on your website first (the only online real estate you own) and then shared on social media. Naturally, each platform wants you to use their tools to upload and edit content, but if you don’t have time for that, making sure something appears on all of your platforms once a week means that any future clients can do their due diligence on their preferred social media platform.
Goal: Publish one new piece of content on your website and share it on all of your social channels once a week.
Consider developing an engagement strategy
Social media works when people listen (react) and speak (post). So it is up to you to make sure your business listens more than it speaks. If you have identified your favourite accounts and clicked the notification bell, you can spend some time engaging with their content in your newsfeed with reactions (likes) as well as comments (lengthy comments will earn you lots of brownie points). Ideally, aim for an engagement ratio of at least 3:1 – three engagements, one post. Naturally, the more engagements you make, the more likely your content will be shared by the algorithm to others.
Goal: Engage more often than you post on social media, at least at the ratio of 3:1 or more.
Prioritise the right metrics
Platforms like TikTok have moved away from the number of ‘followers’ to the number of ‘views.’ In other words, your content will reach more people if it is viewed for longer rather than if you have a lot of followers. This is a major change and in some cases, it makes people create content that is highly emotive and is designed for a ‘reaction’ rather than ‘value.’ Be warned. This is very dangerous for a business that needs leads and sales, not views. Please stick to your core messages of education and value with the occasional call to action that will suit your ideal client otherwise you will attract unwanted interest from people who are not going to purchase.
Goal: Keep your business in mind with all social media activity and don’t be distracted by views or shiny objects.
Abide by the user agreements
It can be very tempting to ‘game’ the social media platforms to get the results you need. Don’t waste your time. Bad behaviour is quickly identified and you risk losing your account without warning. Be curious. Explore new features when they come out. Make it easier for everyone to consume your content (visible and embedded captions). Add to the conversation. Remain solution-focused. Provide value. Be authentic. Most importantly, decide on your strategy and consistently show up in a way that is sustainable for you and your business. Then get back to business.
Goal: Maintain your integrity on all social media at all times.