The key to social media marketing is to engage audiences with non-spammy social content specially designed for each specific network. Here are some simple guidelines:
TAKE PHOTOS
Don’t just snap photos of your products and staff.
Instead, take pics of things that inspire your target audience and customers. If you sell organic food items, snap photos of the natural ingredients you use or the process behind creating the product. Inspire, by taking photos of interesting or inspirational sights and signs you come across daily. Optimize your photos with text and creative filters that encourage and inspire. Share them on sites like Instagram and Flikr.
BROADCAST
Don’t just record long, non-narrative video of your company picnic or last craft fair event.
Instead, take non-product-related issues affecting your audience and discuss them with special guests. Offer tips and advice and interview experts. Broadcast these informational interviews and discussions on Youtube, or in a podcast.
BLOG
Don’t just blog about yourself or the inner-workings of your business.
Instead, take broader issues affecting your targeted audience and write about them. Give tips and advice about issues your audience may experience. Keep the posts short and focused. A good blog will grow your audience and increase your SEO appeal.
CURATE
Don’t just use sites like Pinterest and Tumblr to shove your product in the world’s face.
Instead, use those sites to curate other people’s work and links that are related to your brand, mission or inspiration. You (and most importantly, your customers) will find that you’ll start to drive home your own brand’s value by curating related content from around the web.
NETWORK
Don’t use social networking sites to simply force your own content in front of a captive audience.
Instead, use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to build a network of like-minded organizations and customers. Social networks are all about sharing and following. Build a strong network that gives you awesome content to share and is also interested in sharing your content. Build give and take relationships.
SYNDICATE
Don’t forget to include RSS feeds and email subscription lists on your website or blog.
Few people these days habitually return to websites’ homepages. Build subscription lists via email and RSS feed so that you can deliver content to customers, without your audience having to remember to check your latest listings themselves.
