In order for businesses to effectively reach customers, it is important that they have a presence on social media. Here are a few tips to help get your business noticed online:

Images are great, but more is needed

Videos, photos, and audio are excellent tools to help you gain likes and shares in the social media world. However, do not make the mistake of thinking a stock photo is all that you need. You also need to think of captions, descriptions, and titles to help enrich your content. A text overlay and a tagline in a contrasting color will add impact to your image. Placing your company logo discretely in the corner of the photo is a useful branding technique.

Think like a customer



There is a lot to be said for the SEO value of social media. However, if most of your customers do not use the social media platform you are posting on, you are wasting your time. Your goal should be to focus on platforms that will help your bottom line. While it is important to be in the right places, you also need to be certain that all of your content and conversations on social media are in line with your particular brand. Take a look at some of the profiles of your customers: what are they into? What are they are talking about? Can you possibly provide these goods or services in the future? Knowing what your customers want is critical for any successful business.

Monitor your followers


You will want to pay close attention to each follower you have on all of your social media platforms. This is because each of these people could be a customer down the road. Automatic welcomes are too impersonal, so avoid them. Do your best to engage all of your new followers. For at least 15 minutes every day, read the profiles of new followers. Discover what might interest these people in the future. Building a social media presence is a process that goes both ways, so you should also be on the lookout for new people you want to follow.

Use hidden features of social media platforms

LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook all have small features that most people do not know about. These features can help a business use social media more effectively. The Your Day feature on LinkedIn is particularly useful. When you sync up Your Day and your calendar with all of your LinkedIn contacts, you will be told which person just got promoted, which person is having a birthday, etc. By sending your congratulations, you remind your contacts that you are around and that you have an interest in their professional life. You should also take a look at the accounts that Twitter recommends for you to follow. The region information of your Facebook fans could also help you decide where to focus future campaigns.

Link your site and social media with Google Analytics

Google Analytics is the most important free online tool currently available. You can monitor what your followers are sharing and follow specific channels. By utilizing the traffic URL builder, you can link what your followers are sharing to a specific campaign. The data you can get from GA can be invaluable.

This article was written by Ryan Stewart, blogger, SEO and social media junkie. If you need more help with this, or other SEO issues, Ryan recommends getting help from sites like coolblueweb who can make a huge impact on your page metrics and social media exposure.