What to Add to Your Social Media Strategy In 2013

Social media strategies are developing quickly. New social media sites are being created and older ones developed. Social media has turned into a tool for various pursuits. It has engrained itself within marketing efforts and it is almost necessary to continue to develop and test the waters. Below are new things to incorporate into your social media strategy in 2013, if you have not already!

1) Add Social Share Buttons on Your Site & Blog: I am still noticing business blogs out there that are not utilizing the social share buttons. While it might seem obvious that if someone likes your content they can just share the URL it is always good to keep a reminder just in case. This is just an easy way to compel people to promote your content without even doing anything! Add them, if you don’t have them already.

2) Google+ Authorship: The search engine giant, Google is adding a new route towards search engine optimization. Not only do the usual things count like keywords and backlinks, but social signals are being taken into consideration as well.  If you keep a blog set it up with your Google+ account to create authorship. Not only will this potentially help your SEO efforts but it will also make your links appear more clickable with the nice little photo that will appear next to your site, making it more likely to increase your web traffic. Don’t forget to optimize your posts though!

Another helper will be adding people to circles related to your niche on Google+, and join groups or discussions related to that as well. Share topics and articles that are specific to each group.

3) Use Facebook Apps: If you’ve already set up and awesome display picture and a cover photo (which I hope you have), consider utilizing the Facebook Apps portion of your page. This is a great way to promote updates from contests to services. Think about what might better engage your users and try it out. Consistent branding and aesthetically pleasing images also encourages users to check back for updates. 

4) Experiment With New Facebook Features: Facebook has been making it more difficult for businesses to share content to those that follow them. It is understandable to make changes that cater better to individual users, after all, no one wants 100 updated posts from businesses that they ‘like’. However, when your reach goes down because of changes it could be beneficial to try out the feature post setting to get your business featured. This is what Facebook wants you to do, but it’s worth a short try to test results.

5) Twitter For Business: Twitter has yet again made layout changes. While it might be daunting again to work out new adjustments to your page, try to use the new features to your advantage. Look at some big brands and see what they’re doing. There can be some pretty neat and innovative ways to bring your new Twitter page together.

Also keep track of the Twitter trends! You never know when there’s going to be a trending topic that relates to your market. Just be mindful of the trends! It’s a very easy way to put yourself on the map within your niche.

Do not forget to engage users. It’s easy to post a link and maybe have it reach a couple thousand people, but the user engagements are what is valuable. Your consumers are key so speak to them and listen to them!

6) Tips For Pinterest: Localize and optimize your Pinterest boards using standard SEO practices. There are many Pinterest boards that are showing up on search results now, and you could be one of them. This will be incredibly beneficial for new businesses within competitive markets. You must also set-up Pinterest for business if you have not already.

7) What you should already have: Don’t forget to enter the ring with a game plan. You need a strategy to market your business successfully via social media. If you aren’t already, utilize tools and collect data to monitor your progress. This gives leeway for testing and for adjustments, which will be natural before the plan begins succeeding, especially in the ever changing world of social media.

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