Which platforms should you use?
There are so many social media platforms available it can be hard to choose the right ones. Managing a social media account successfully takes time and effort. You need to update, share and engage with your audience regularly. If you do not have a dedicated social media person then we recommend choosing just one or two platforms and doing them well, rather than trying to be on every platform and not engaging with your followers.
Here are some of the most popular platforms:
Facebook
Facebook has the most users of any social media channel. You can build a business page where you can share your blog posts and any other content. You can also create paid ads on Facebook to help you reach your target audience more effectively.
Twitter
Twitter is a fast-paced platform. You share Tweets which anyone can see. Tweets are short posts and can include links to your blog. Users can follow the people whose posts they want to see more of. You can follow anyone on Twitter and they can follow you back if they choose.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business and employment-related social media platform. If you offer business to business products and services then LinkedIn is a good platform for you.
Pinterest
Pinterest allows you to create ‘boards’ where you pin posts, images and other media content. You can share your boards and allow anyone to view your pinned content or you can make boards private.
Instagram
Instagram is a very visual platform. Anyone can follow you and find your images. You can use hashtags to make it easier for people to find your content. If you have a visual product or service then Instagram is a good platform for you.
YouTube
YouTube is a video sharing platform. If you are including video on your blog posts then embed the YouTube link into your blog and include links to your blog posts on your YouTube channel.
Feedly
Feedly is a news aggregator app. Choose subjects you are interested in and you will get a feed of blogs and articles related to that subject. Feedly is a good tool for finding content to share with your audience and researching for your own blog.
Medium
Medium is a free platform where you can share blogs and articles. Blogs that get more likes and comments appear higher in feeds so the quality of your blog post is very important.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a micro-blogging site where users can share media in short blog posts. Users can follow other users’ blogs. You can add tags to your posts to make them easier to find.
Reddit
Reddit is an American social news aggregator. You can share links or text posts. Registered users vote submissions up or down which determines where your posts appear in a feed.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a mobile app that allows you to share photos and videos with your audience. The images and videos “self-destruct” once viewed. Snapchat attracts a younger audience and is gaining in popularity as a marketing tool.
With so many social media platforms available, it can be difficult to choose the best one. We suggest choosing the platform that your target audience is using. If you are looking for a younger audience then Instagram or Snapchat might work for you. If you are a B2B company then LinkedIn is a good platform. Here are some more in-depth articles on the different demographics and benefits of using the different platforms:
Social media demographics to inform a better segmentation strategy (Sprout Social)
How do Instagram and Snapchat compare for promoting your blog? (Forbes)
Top social network demographics 2017 [Infographic] (Social Media Today)
How often should you post?
The number of times you share your posts will depend on the platform you are using. On Twitter, it is more acceptable to share the same post several times whereas LinkedIn users won’t appreciate you saturating their feed with the same post over and over again.
The key thing to remember is to share a combination of your own content and other people’s content.
For more detail on how often to share check out these articles:
How often to share your blog posts on social media (Blog2Social)
Average time spent daily on social media-2019 data (Broadband Search)
Using images
Including an image makes your post stand out more in social media feeds. On more visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, an image is essential. Make sure you use original images or images that you have the correct permissions or licences to use.
Automation
You can automate the sharing of your blog posts using apps like Hootsuite which allows you to write your social media posts in advance and schedule when you want to publish them. You can schedule all your posts for the day or week ahead saving you time and making sure you don’t miss key sharing times.
Tracking results
Use your social media analytics and Google analytics to track which posts are getting the most engagement. This allows you to see which blog posts get the most click-throughs and which social media platforms are driving the most traffic to your site, so you can market your blog more effectively.
Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a way of reaching a bigger audience. Find people or companies that share your target audience and ask them to promote your blog posts on their social media channels. By getting them to share your content, you widen your reach.
Other ways of sharing your blog post
Social media is a fantastic way of sharing your blog for free but there are other ways to market your blog too. Share via email newsletters, join blogging communities or use paid advertising.
Get started in social media
If you want to use social media to promote your blog but don’t know where to start these guides will help:
Facebook Marketing: A comprehensive guide for beginners (Kissmetrics)
Beginners guide to Twitter (Mashable)
LinkedIn for business: the ultimate marketing guide (Hootsuite)