Watch What I Post – Social Media Tips

By Susan Allard, Audience Development Account Executive, Denver Business Journal and CWCC Member

Using social media has been fun, especially working for a news agency. I get to create opportunities for friends, business connections and followers to learn about interesting people and the companies I work for. But how do I get people to see what I’m posting?

Making yourself stand out from the others is the most important thing you can do. A few tips:

1)      Be authentic. First time you are posting a particular message? Give it a great introduction or shout out. If you are sharing something you’ve read or seen, don’t just copy, retweet or share the link. Add your own personal touch to the message.

2)      Include other organizations or people in your post that could benefit from the information and help get the word out. Use hashtags (#) and tags. For example, on Twitter: @cowomenschamber #women #smallbiz. Find key people or businesses mentioned in the article, then locate their twitter handles, use a current hashtag, or even make one up. The more you do this, the better potential for your post to go viral and help you build followers.

3)      Include a picture. It can tell the story faster and get the follower to engage quicker. (Plus, using photos gets an increased share rate of 20-25 percent, according to social media analytics website Klout).

4)      Repost your content, especially on Twitter. There are so many feeds going through accounts, it is easy for others to miss your message. Engagement happens more often if you get important content out frequently.

5)      Track what works and what doesn’t. Most social media sites have analytics, enabling you to look at what gets the most traction.

6)      Be positive. No one likes a “negative Nelly.” Firestorms happen too easily on social media – be the change.

7)      Have fun! This is a great opportunity for people to get to know who you are and what you believe in.

About Susan Allard
Susan Allard is an Audience Development Account Executive at the Denver Business Journal, master networker and strategic connector. You can email her at sallard@bizjournals.com, find her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter, @susandbj.