Social Media Trends to Help Promote Your Business

Social media has become increasingly popular in the business community. It is used as an additional marketing tool to reach and engage your audience, market products and services and to drive traffic to your website. With 73 percent of Americans using social media, it is essential for businesses to have a strong presence there. 

Julie Braverman, Digital Marketing Manager and Christina Grieves, Social Media Specialist from Millennium Marketing Solutions gave a presentation earlier this week on ways to increase your social media presence using Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Below are best practices for business:

Facebook:

• Sixty percent of Facebook users said they would discuss a product or service if they were offered a discount or deal of some kind. 
• Choose a cover photo that is representative of your brand.
• Stay consistent and post five times a week to keep your fans engaged.
• Know your customers and post updates that are relevant to them.
• Be authentic with your voice and brand.
• Ask fans to get involved and be proactive.
• Get creative and do contests and promotions. 
• Write posts containing questions, which generate 92 percent higher comments.
• Include pictures, which receive 39 percent higher interaction rates.

Twitter:

• There are 500 million users on Twitter and 34 percent of marketers have generated leads using Twitter.
• Demonstrate leadership by sharing resources and tips. Link to articles as it relates to your business to establish your company as a thought leader.
• Share photos and behind the scenes information. Adding photos to your tweets will increase the amount of attention they get. Provide a sneak-peak into new products or upcoming events. 
• Read your followers’ tweets and look for replies and mentions. Follow people who interact with you on Twitter.  
• Use hashtags (#) to help organize your posts. Hashtag keywords will help you find your target audience and create new trends. They also help users find your content easier. Using hashtags can create opportunities to participate in conversations based on interest. 
• Respond in real time – don’t wait days to respond to a follower.
• Be sure to understand your mission and speak in a genuine and likable tone.

Google+:

• With 500 million users, Google+ has the most active users of all other social networks besides Facebook. You will see a 5 – 10 percent increase in click-through rates when a search result has a +1 button next to it. 
• Google+ allows clients to recommend your business, site, page or content to friends and other contacts, which helps increase search results.
• Create Circles, which allow you to target specific demographics by arranging them in different groups such as B2B, B2C, etc.
• Share product images, inspiration and what’s happening with your business using photos.

LinkedIn:

• Over 60 percent of LinkedIn users are business professionals looking to connect with other business professionals.
• Create a company page, which will allow members to follow your page. 
• Share company news, information and updates.
• Post career opportunities, products and services. 

Social media marketing is becoming increasingly more important for search engine optimization and will continue to impact Google, Yahoo and Bing search results. Some prospective clients may only know of your business through social media, so maintaining a strong presence is vital.

To learn more on how to add social media to your marketing plan, visit Millennium Marketing Solutions website at www.mm4solutions.com or call at (301) 725-8000 to set up an appointment to get started.