If you’re thinking that the social media landscape feels bumpy, you’re not alone. You may be wondering if you need Instagram and TikTok accounts … or is it time to cancel your Twitter (X)? We get it. Social media is a mysterious place with platforms changing things without warning, finding themselves on the verge of collapse, and new ones revolutionizing how people engage.
Despite all this, social media remains a good place to build brand awareness and find an audience. To answer your question about Instagram: it depends. If Instagram, or any social media platform, will serve your organization in a meaningful way, then it's worth getting an account. If you're unsure, then get one and test it out. After all, A/B testing remains one of the best ways to try out different strategies, especially with social media.
By following a solid social media strategy, you can both weather unexpected changes and up your game. Here are some tips to help make that happen.
General Recommendations
1. Research your audience. Before you can start to make content, you should research who you're talking to. Determine who engages with your channels and tailor posts to meet their needs.
2. Tailor content to each platform. To fully engage with each platform, look at which posts get the most engagement and recreate that in future posts.
3. Align your content strategy with your organization's goals. These goals can include building brand awareness, improving customer service, promoting current sales, and directing traffic to a web page or physical location.
4. Schedule content ahead of time. Planning content ahead of time is one of the key features in keeping your social media consistent and engaged.
5. Play with video. Videos don't have to be a polished production. In fact, 65% of TikTok users say that professional-looking videos look out-of-touch. Simple videos are a great way to connect with your audience across all social platforms.
6. Respond to comments, shares, DMs, and mentions. This is how you build a community around your organization's message. A community promotes brand loyalty, encourages customers to return, provides a pool of testimonials, and more.
7. Audit your performance. It pays to pivot your strategy to ensure its continued success, especially in an ever-changing marketing landscape. When the tried and true no longer feels relevant, do some A/B testing to discover what is.
8. Make your posts accessible. Write image descriptions in alt text for all images. Capitalize each word in a hashtag (example: #AccessibilityRules). Add subtitles to your videos.
Facebook Recommendations
- Post a variety of content—images, links, events, videos, polls, Reels, Stories, etc.
- Invite your audience to engage with your posts, and respond to comments and shares in a timely fashion
Instagram Recommendations
- Instagram is a visual medium, so pay attention to the graphics on each post.
- For content that doesn't have an easy image, make a fun slide show that your audience can swipe through.
- Hyperlinks on Instagram posts do not work. Direct people to your profile with the phrase "see link in bio" and make sure that link is updated.
LinkedIn Recommendations
- LinkedIn is a place to make professional connections. Content should be tailored for accomplishments, networking, event updates, and other similar things.
- Keep posts short and ask thought-provoking questions to invite engagement
- Follow the 4-1-1 rule. For every post you make about yourself, you should also share a post from another source and then four more posts by other authors
YouTube Recommendations
- Invest in quality audio equipment. Bad audio is more of a turn off than bad video.
- Great for posting podcasts, live streams, webinars, publicly available events, and more
- Hooks up to GoogleAds so you can push videos outside of YouTube
TikTok Recommendations
- Use hashtags to help the algorithm get eyes on your video
- Educate your audience! How-tos and Tutorials make popular content
- Duet with people and let your videos be Dueted
Twitter (X) Recommendations
- If your post cannot be shortened to 280 characters, there are two options:
- Put it all in one or two images
- Break it down into smaller chunks with a thread
- Pin a Tweet to your profile with always-relevant information
- Retweet things relevant to your organization or industry
Now that you've audited your social media, it's time to decide how to go forward. If you need help planning or implementing a solid social media strategy, call us at 608.240.9611 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.