As the year comes to a close, it’s a good time to assess the success of your social media efforts. Have you adorned your tree with too many or not enough ornaments? Do your ornaments sparkle? Or do they look more like your dusty popsicle-stick wreath from ’83?
When it comes to social media (or trimming a tree), it’s hard to be perfect and that’s okay. It is important, however, to be consistent, resourceful and inspiring. Whether you’re posting updates on Facebook, Twitter or another site, put thought into your posts; don’t just talk to talk.
How do you know if your posts are well received?
Sometimes it’s hard to know if people appreciate or find value in your posts. Here are four things to keep in mind when assessing their value:
1) Do people respond? Are people liking, re-tweeting, sharing or commenting? Use free tools like Hootsuite.com, Addictomatic.com or another one of these free social media monitoring sites to track interaction. You can also use Facebook Insights to measure activity related to your Facebook page.
2) Do you take time to look at the history of your Facebook wall (or other social network(s))? You don’t have to go way back, but do take a minute every Friday to see what went on that week. Did you balance your content for the week with a mixture of media and text? What posts did people respond to most often? Again, take a look at Facebook Insights to see when traffic spiked.
3) Don’t overload your fans! It’s great to communicate, but be selective. Don’t post everything that pops into your head or people will stop following you. Treat your fans as you want to be treated—really!
4) Do you appreciate your own posts? Are you proud of your social media efforts? Do you think they’re helpful or interesting? If not, maybe it’s time to ask for help. A large component of a quality social media campaign is being a good communicator. You may understand your industry very well, but might need help communicating your knowledge. If you weren’t a graphic designer, you wouldn’t create an ad, right? If you’re not a good communicator, maybe you shouldn’t be a spokesperson (online or off). This is why PR/marketing folks have jobs. 😉
Is your social media tree a little hodgepodge? Clean it up, take down some of the candy canes that no one likes, and create something people will remember. Now is a great time to start.
~April Harter, Director of Public Relations & Social Media