The New Year is upon us: a time for self-improvement, new beginnings, and more often than not, empty self-promises. If you haven’t yet broken your new year’s resolution this year, congratulations! You’re among the 75% whose resolution survives the first week of January. Unfortunately, another third of you will break your resolution before February.
If you’ve already broken your new year’s resolution, have no fear. I am personally offering you a second chance with 5 social media marketing New Year’s resolutions anyone can keep.
1. Optimize your Google Plus brand page for SEO
Though Google Plus may not have a strong amount of activity yet, it certainly cannot be overlooked. Google is the search giant, and if nothing else, it can be assumed that Google Plus will affect page ranks. If you haven’t jumped on the Google Plus train yet, then 2012 is the year to do it. If you don’t want to make it a primary part of your social media strategy, then at least use Google Plus to help SEO.
2. Think outside the box
Try out a new platform for engaging with your current and future customers. We all know that brands have found success on Twitter and Facebook. But social engagement isn’t limited to these two platforms. Branch out a bit and try a new social platform. Not sure where to start? Try one of these:
- FourSquare: If your business is a brick-and-mortar company, then Foursquare offers several opportunities for engaging your fans. It is the number one geolocation social network that allows brands to launch instant viral campaigns with specials and deals.
- Instagram: Instagram is a free photo sharing app currently only available on iOS but in development on Android. Even if you don’t sell a tangible or visually appealing product, you can still use Instagram for social media marketing.
- Pinterest: Pinterest is a virtual board-style social photo sharing site. Users “pin” images that they find interesting – often linked to more in depth sites. Users are especially fond of fashion, DIY/home décor, and recipes, but any brand can establish a presence within the community
3. Stop automating
Managing a social media campaign is hard work; You have to constantly update and monitor several networks. Many social media managers are tempted to simply automate updates from one network to appear on all other networks. Though this may seem like a great way to save time, you may be hurting your campaign. Though social media platforms all share some similarities, they each have their subtle nuances. If you want to effectively reach customers through social media platforms, you must tailor fit updates to respect their individual cultures.
4. Start blogging
Not only does blogging give you fresh, relevant, and interesting content to share with your followers, but, as a special bonus, it also does wonders for your SEO.
5. Increase your Klout Score
Social media marketing is often a numbers game. Unfortunately, too often we focus on the wrong numbers – number of followers, likes, tweets, etc. This year, resolve to focus on increasing your Klout score. Klout goes beyond followers and likes and measures your social influence.