I had the pleasure of hosting a Social Media for Small Business seminar this past Saturday, and wanted to share a few of the general tips with everyone. I also have had some interest expressed in a webinar version, which I am excited for, especially with the cold weather coming. Keep an eye out for this after the holidays, but in the meantime, here are a few general tips, that ally to most, if not all, platforms!

• Add all social media handles on your business cards, website, email signature, and
  anywhere else you commonly do business. This will allow your customers to choose
  where to follow, instead of trying to find you.
• Offer true value. Write posts and share content that relates to your industry, and
  positions you as an expert. Don’t make every post a sales pitch.
• Post regularly: Posting sporadically sends the message that you’re not serious
  about your page. If you want people to invest in your page, you need to establish
  a regular pattern of posting useful and relevant content.
• Make sure your page’s branding and design are professional and consistent. When
  people come to your page, it only takes them a split second to decide whether to
  like it or not; make sure your page accurately conveys your brand’s voice and
  image.
• Use your insights to find when your followers react the most to your posts, and
  what type of posts get the most engagement. Then do more of that.
• Ask Questions. This isn’t about YOU, it’s about THEM. Give your followers a place
  to be heard, and they will keep coming back. The questions don’t even need to be
  related to what you do.
• Don’t be afraid to get a bit personal from time to time. It makes your brand more
  real, and easier for customers to connect to. But be prudent about what you share.
  Decide ahead of time how much of yourself (and the other people in your life) you
  want to share, keeping in mind the possibility of huge growth.
• Use your insights to find when your followers react the most to your posts, and
  what type of posts get the most engagement. Then do more of that.
• Use a plugin that will allow people to share content straight from your website to
  their social media accounts. They are then doing to work of posting for you, as
  well as giving you a wider reach.

Do you have any of your own tips to add to this list? If so, share them in the comments!