Search Engine Optimisation and what Social Media is best for my business? A great question, If you spread yourself too thinly across all social networks then it is hard to maintain a quality presence. As such you should place your focus into the areas that will best benefit your business. There is a wide range of networks out there including the mainstreams like Twitter, Facebook, Google +, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. But don’t forget to look into some of the smaller niche areas that may be specific to your industry. When considering where to invest your time, think about the following:
Communication style:
There are some formats that will be better suited to the image you wish to create. As such, you need to think about how exactly you want to communicate, do you have images and designs? Or insights and words? This will determine whether you turn to blogs or a visual site like Pinterest. For example, if you make wedding cakes Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook all have a visual communication style and would work for that kind of business. If you run an accounting firm Pinterest and Instagram are going to be less effective; unless of course you can get some great photos of your calculator!
You’re Target Market:
Once you know where your audience invests their time and energy, target this social media network. There is no point in have a presence somewhere that won’t be seen by the people you want to do business with. If your target audience is middle-aged male executives then maybe Pinterest is not the place for you to spend a significant chunk of your marketing budget, simply because generally not too many men in that age bracket know what it even is, let alone use it.
Natural connections:
Sometimes one platform will just have a more natural affinity to your business model or brand style. If this is the case, then go with this plan as it’s more likely that you will be able to reach like-minded people and achieve the best level of engagement.
How to have a strong presence in 2016
Content is linked to Social Media
Social integration is one of the best ways to spread your content and gain visibility. If you share and spread your content, not just on your website, but through social media as well, it is clear to see that it is more likely to be seen, read, and shared. When doing this, don’t forget the power of sharing features, topical tagging and quality content that will start a conversation and add something of value that people will want to actually see and share.
Content Marketing has become the catalyst that fuels search and social media activity. Jim Yu, CEO, BrightEdge
Google + and Google Authorship
One of your focuses should be on the Google+ region of social media. As it stands there is no direct advantage to Google’s social media over any other (i.e. algorithm favouritism) there are advantages because of the way that google can use this information to your advantage. Google’s Authorship connections are always going to be important for your visibility and content awareness.
Driving connections through Social media
Social media will constantly be used to make both connections with your audience and those in your profession, so don’t forget to mingle where you can. The other important part that it drives connections is the diverse range of expression. So feel free to take advantage of the sites like Pinterest and YouTube and express your content in a range of multimedia and unique forms.
So by know you should be clearly grasping how important social media can be when you use it to your advantage. Our next chapter will discuss how all these elements (content, links, and social media) can then start to come together to work towards building your brand and giving you a voice.
Remember, to have fun with this also. It may sound strange but remember, being social is not just all about business. If you happen to have something interesting to share even if it’s off message that you think your social fans will love then post it up there, create a conversation, engage your fans.
So if you are unsure of where to go next, then perhaps think about engaging an SEO organisation to help out
As the CEO of Slingshot Internet Marketing, I know the struggles that many people have when starting off the SEO. I myself ran a small business for a number of years and had to learn SEO from scratch and by a lot of trial and error. So remember to start off strong and use the information that you know. Once you have built that foundation, learn as much as possible about SEO and be patient with the results. If you come to a stage when you are unsure or want to set your business apart from the rest, then consider having a chat to an SEO professional. Feel free to visit our website: www.slingshotinternetmarketing.com