They say that if you do not have a Facebook account, you do not exist.

Indeed, the rise of social media channels was bolstered, if not initiated, by Facebook. Currently, there are numerous sites aside from Facebook that are exponentially gaining members, such as Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram.

Here are some numbers proving their influence:

- Out of over 900 million Facebook users, 20% of these buy products online because of an advert or brand they saw on their news feeds.

- Of all adults that are regularly online, 91% of these logs on to their social media accounts.

- Out of over 500 million Twitter users, 40% of these use the site to look for products that they wish to buy.

- Pinterest is estimated to be the medium for almost 40% of online purchases through social media, next to Facebook which accounts for 60%.

These staggering numbers reiterate the fact that for whatever purpose, social medial channels are convenient for everyone.

Now after using different platforms for specific purposes, I have noticed that specific strategies bolster your efforts and help you achieve your goals faster. Now, I wish to share them with you.

Best Social Media Strategies

4 Simple Yet Essential Social Media Tips


1. Plan Your Strategies Wisely


Anyone can sign up for an account with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Google+. But to make your efforts successful, you need to have a plan.

For example, how will you maintain connectivity in these sites? Will you log in at least once a day and have a minimum number of posts or tweets?

If you treat social media as a way of improving your PR online and consequently improving your image, you have to look at this from a business point of view by carefully planning possible methods.

How to do this?

Use the various tools featured on different channels. These were designed to make your experience more convenient and satisfactory.

For example, Facebook now shows you analytics on status updates, allowing you to assess how many people have seen it, both organic and viral.

Another example is Twitter, which Slipstream feature allows you to narrow down the number of tweets on your Home page without un-following or blocking anyone.

2. Set a Goal and Choose a Platform Based on that Goal


What exactly is your purpose for using social media channels? Are you trying to market your business online? Are you aiming for increased visibility of your blog site? Are you attempting to build an online reputation for a future business endeavour? Or do you simply want more friends, followers, or people in your circles?

Determine what you want and use the social media site that will maximise your efforts and help you meet your goals sooner.

3. Think Out of the Box


Facebook and Twitter, although they are the current social media mammoths, are not the only mediums you can use.

For example, Pinterest is great if you are a food lover, a 'fashionphile', or a photographer, while Tumblr is useful for photographers who are also writers.

Instagram is ideal if you are always on-the-go and your career relies on discovering trends in different industries.

So you see, there are many more avenues you can use, aside from Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, which all have their merits.

4. Understand Your Audience


As soon as people create their accounts on various sites, they immediately start posting statuses and uploading photos of their latest activities.

But are these posts actually getting noticed or going viral?

If not, then you may have to rethink your strategy by understanding your audience first.

With regards to your friends or followers, what do they usually post or 'talk' about? What issues are they interested in? What makes them intrigued on a topic?

Learn what people want to know and use that as a basis for your statuses, tweets, posts, shares, and uploads.

Also Check :

5 Powerful Tips for Successful Facebook Pages

8 Types Of Viral Facebook Status Updates (Infographic)

Top 5 Ways To Get ReTweets On Twitter (Infographic)

Final Words

There are so many words that can be used to describe what social media is: useful, interactive, and convenient. But what is obvious is that it is evolving. As Internet users, we have to keep up with the changes in such mediums or else we will be left out.

Emma Tomlinsonis the Head of Retail at Smart-Traffic..co.uk, a top SEO white labelcompany in the UK offering services to customers across the globe.
 
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