At this point in the game, not having an active social media presence for your business is like having a pen but no paper to write on. We live in such a fast-paced, digital environment that social media outlets are essential when it comes to communicating with your audience.

It’s not enough, however, to simply post whatever you feel like posting. Social media usage has to be strategic. You have to T-H-I-N-K before you send out that tweet, Facebook post or Instagram photo. If you’re successful in connecting with your audience, your social media presence can help drive your audience toward your business.

Think Timing

Target audiences vary from business to business, and different audiences are best reached through social media at different times of the day. For example, if teenagers are your target audience, you shouldn’t post during school hours. If you’re trying to reach mothers, posting before 8 a.m. while they’re getting their kids ready for school is not your best option. Doing a basic analysis of best times to reach your audience on the front end will boost your social media interaction. 

Think Honesty

It’s so easy to send out a post as soon as something noteworthy happens for your business. Even though it is important to keep your social media presence timely, you have to make sure all your facts are straight before posting because once you hit the send button, that post is out there for all the world to see. Even with the power of the delete button, the ability to screenshot and social media users’ propensity to constantly hit refresh make hiding a mistake almost impossible. Your social media posts should go through an editing process just like any other document written for your business.

Think Inspiring

Do your posts make your audience want to visit your website, buy your product or use your service? How will your posts stand out among the hundreds of posts on your audience’s timeline? Add popular hashtags, include great graphics or simply use creative words and phrases to make viewers stop scrolling through their timelines and look at your post. This could lead their eventually acquiring an interest in your business.

Think Necessary

With the millions of great articles, statistics, memes and videos on the internet, it’s important to only share content that is necessary for furthering your business. Social media users want to view a variety of content every day, so they don’t want to see posts from the same accounts over and over again. That’s why it’s important to send out one or two content-driven posts that sell what your business has to offer.

Think Kind

Social media is driven by communication, but it’s also fueled by relationships. Establishing those relationships, not only with your target audience but also with other businesses, will further your presence online. The primary objective should be to develop connections with key influencers who are likely to help maximize networking for your business. Respond to comments, follow relevant accounts and retweet posts you’re mentioned in. These days, taking action to develop strong, online connections is just as important as establishing in-person relationships, so take advantage of it!