Marketing has gotten more and more social, much to the chagrin of many companies who try their hand at DIY marketing. While social media is a great way to connect to both friends and clients, it can be difficult to know just how much return on investment you’re getting on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the like. However, there are some statistics out there that show certain types of posts garner more interest, and thus more “likes,” clicks, and shares, than others.
One thing has becomes clear about Facebook posts in the last few years—a post with a picture will get far more results than one without. But not all images are created equal on the almighty Facebook. Kissmetrics offers some insight into the types of images that tend to get the most notice in posts. What it essentially boils down to, though, is that people like to share funny, clever images, inspirational messages, and memes. Seems obvious, right? Coming up with these types of posts and making them relate to your business, however, can be tricky.
Some interesting insight into what makes a successful Twitter post comes from QuickSprout. According to their research, “If you are trying to get the most traffic from Twitter, consider creating how-to or list-based content on your site.” This means that a post about a good how-to blog should perform well on Twitter. We also often hear that asking questions of your followers can help spark engagement, and on some platforms that’s true. However, this does not appear to be the case with Twitter. A good quote actually tends to out-perform a question, so it may not be worth your 140 characters to ask followers what they’re up to this weekend.
LinkedIn has, from the beginning, been primarily about helping job hunters find new employment opportunities. However, it’s evolved into a space for business-to-business relationships as well, and as such, more professional, informative, and educational posts generally perform the best here. Don’t skip the images on LinkedIn, though. All social networking channels have made steps to become more and more visual because they know users are much more likely to notice and engage with a post that has a good graphic.
Avoid at All Costs
Knowing what kinds of posts to avoid at all costs is equally important for businesses marketing on social media, as you never want to offend or alienate your target market. Stay away from posts that contain the following:
- Disturbing photos: While your intentions may be good, pictures of ill children or injured or sick animals can make your followers cringe and possibly hit the “unfollow” button.
- Hard sales: No one follows your business on social media in order to get a constant stream of sales messages. Share content that appeals to your audience, and set your business up as a knowledgeable thought leader that they will want to turn to when they do need your services.
- Urban myths: From false cures for cancer to accusations that Facebook will charge users for services, urban legends are rampant on social media these days. Never post anything as a fact unless you are 100% sure.
- Religion: This is a very sensitive subject for many people and a very personal one. A good rule of thumb for business is to avoid posts of a religious nature unless your business specifically caters to a certain religious group.
- Obscenity: No swearing. Again, your followers are diverse and not everyone approves of harsh language.
Need help coming up with fun, informative, and sharable content for your social media accounts? Contact the social media marketing and aging care experts at corecubed today!