Many social media professionals have become adept at posting, posting, and posting. From Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest, they have a lot to say. As we know, content is king and the key to success is to make sure that you are posting engaging content and interacting with your audience in a meaningful way. It's not about quantity. It never has been.
Four tips for successful social media interactions:
1. Be engaged
You don't need to spend your day in Facebook or Twitter, but you need to check in often enough to see what is being said. Is there a post that is worth re-Tweeting? Did you see something on Google+ that you want to share with your audience? Is there a new YouTube video that is relevant to your product or service? Take time to read posts from other industry thought leaders and share content that you find useful and interesting.
2. Be part of the conversation
If someone asks a question and you have a good answer that furthers the conversation, don't hold back. This is your chance to further your brand and be seen as an innovative thought leader. If it makes sense to the conversation, include a link back to your own site. If is a stretch to add your link, don't do it. It is better to be seen as a thought leader than to be perceived as a spammer. Social media is a two-way street, a conversation, a collaboration that results in sharing useful information.
3. Monitor your brand
Make sure that you use Twilert or Google Alerts or similar tools to monitor conversations about your brand so that you can respond (sometimes privately) in a timely manner. Check Google Analytics to see what is working, and what is not working.
4. Be social
There is a temptation to post, post, post, but you need to truly be social. Take time to meet people, go out and talk to others, join a Meetup group to stay current on trends.
