I’m going to assume it is safe to say that if you’re reading this blog you know at least a little bit about social media.
But did you know, according to Marketingcharts.com, the change in social media use among Baby Boomers age 55-64 rose from 9 percent in December 2008 to 43 percent in December 2010. This means that more individuals and businesses are making the transition to Facebook and Twitter in order to promote and increase advertising.
Is it enough to just have an account to get desired results? I’m going to say, probably not. Don’t fret, below are a few ways to maximize your social media tools to create huge differences that will drive your personal or business accounts.
It’s always a good idea to encourage interaction with your audience a.k.a “Facebook friends.” To do this you can:
- Initiate discussions on your Facebook page
- Have giveaways or contests
- Create photo albums from events and include meaningful captions
- Start polls
- Post links to your wall that you think your friends would find insightful
- Ask users to “like” your page to increase traffic to your site
- “Like” others’ posts you find interesting
- Always keep the material fresh, repeated messages get ignored
- Write meaningful status updates that will encourage others to visit your page
First and foremost, don’t be intimidated if you don’t have any followers yet. Here are some helpful tips to increase the numbers.
- Start following companies you’re interested in
- Write tweets that include hashtags (#) – that makes them searchable
- If you can, include others in your tweet to increase viewership
Ex. Had a blast today #shopping with @Rachel_Dover! #LoveLansing - Follow hashtags you’re interested in
- Find tweets from others that interest you and re-tweet (RT) it or reply
- Use the 9:1 ratio. For every tweet you post, re-tweet or share nine other posts or links
- Create lists so you can keep similar interests all in one spot
- Stay active, don’t give up after a few tweets
- Include a picture and a quick bio so others can check for similar interests
Social media can be very cost effective in getting your message across, if used to its full potential. Try these tips and watch your viewership and followers double!! There are no excuses now!
This post was written by Michigan State University grad and M3 intern Katie Hans






