Hello, marketing mavericks! If you’re just stepping into the wild world of social media marketing, fear not, my friends – I’m spilling the beans on my tried and true best practices to set you on the right path in 2024 and beyond! Grab your boots, and let’s get to walking.
Tell a Story
Think of your brand as the camp counselor telling a spooky tale to campers around the campfire. To tell a good story, you’ll need—
-
- A cast of characters (content pillars – more on that below)
- A plot and a ghost (customer challenges)
- Campers (your audience)
- A happy ending (a solution to their problems)
Next, you’ll need to paint a picture in their minds. Here are some tips to help you tell your best story around the campfire.
Feature customers
Feature current customers on your feed. It builds social proof and brings an authentic voice to your content. For instance, share customer testimonials, quotes, before and after photos of log homes after you worked on them, or content generated by your audience (aka user-generated content.)
Show Your Product in Action
According to The Sprout Social Index™ 2022, 51% of consumers like to see brands highlighting their product or service in their social posts. Instead of telling, show your product or service in action. Show how it helps your customers solve their problems, empowers them, and helps them live their best life.
The above photo and caption are examples of making your customer the story’s hero. This family can now spend more time at their cabin making memories that last a lifetime rather than maintaining their log home.
Know The Right Venue
Spooky stories, marshmallows, and campfires go together, but not campfires, high heels, and sushi. You can repurpose your content across platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok), but you’ll need to adjust your content to fit each platform. For Example, don’t leave the TikTok logo on your Instagram reel.
Here are the best practices from Sprout Social for various social channels:
- X (aka the platform formerly known as Twitter)
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Plus, what is Threads?
Pro Tip: Always ask permission before you reshare. Don’t be the brand that takes advantage of someone else’s creativity. Send a quick DM, like “Hi, we loved your post. Can we feature it on our feed, give you credit, or tag you?”
Engage, Don’t Just Post
Social media is a two-way street. Respond to comments, ask questions, and build relationships. It’s like a good ‘ol potluck—everyone brings something to the table, and together, it’s a fun feast!
This goes beyond commenting and liking posts.
According to The 2023 Sprout Social Index™, 76% of consumers value how quickly a brand can respond to their needs. When you respond to DMs or comments, give your audience a personalized response.
Try automated messages or setting up frequently asked questions in Instagram Direct. Also, reduce your response time (how long it takes to respond to a message).
How To Reduce Your Response Time on Social Media
First, measure where you’re at with your response time. Is it taking you a couple of hours or a few days to respond.? Next, implement customer service chatbots or tap into your customer service team so they can promptly respond to questions.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to engage with the positive comments, not just the complaints.
Big Waves Inc. strives to be a ripple of positivity, and it shows in their social media feed. Don’t forget to engage with the positive sentiments as well as the negative ones.
Use AI as a Tool but Keep a Human Touch
AI services like ChatGPT and Grammarly can help speed up content creation, and customer service tools can help manage conversations, but be sure to maintain your human touch.
I’ve drafted social media posts using AI for clients. I’ve noticed ChatGPT sometimes adds too many words and overcomplicates messaging. I edited the copy and added my client’s branding and personality to the writing. Here’s a great article by Hootsuite on ways to incorporate AI in your social media content creation process.
Pro Tip: Use AI to enhance your content and develop ideas, but not as a replacement for creativity and humanity.
Develop Quality Visual Content
A picture is worth a thousand words, and in social media, it’s golden. Invest in eye-catching visuals. Whether a stunning photo or a well-designed graphic, it will speak volumes. Hire a photographer or videographer to capture high-quality content that’s personal to you. I love the BTI Log Home Care example. Suppose I lived in Montana and had a log home. They would be my go-to. You have the visuals. Now, learn how to repurpose and reuse them to save time and money.
Visual Aids
I use tools like Canva and Adobe Express to create social media graphics using a custom template I design for the specific client. I remix the design and apply my client’s branding to tailor designs to their audience. I don’t want their stuff to look like everyone else’s. It needs to stand out.
A Note on Trends
Although trends are a great way to build awareness and reach new audiences, you don’t have to jump on every single one. It can come off as inauthentic and is unstainable over the long run to do it all. Instead, focus on your analytics to see the most successful formats and your top-engaged content.
Pro Tip: Hire a designer to create unique templates for your brand rather than using the standard cookie-cutter templates in Canva.
Consistency is Key
You hear this so much in marketing that it probably becomes annoying, but it holds true here, too. Decide what you can commit to and maintain a consistent posting schedule.
Whether it’s once a day or two times a week, it doesn’t matter. Decide what is best for you and your business. Quality is better than quantity. You don’t want to bombard your audience with nonsense. You’ll lose trust, and they’ll start to tune you out.
Hashtags with Purpose
Don’t just throw in hashtags willy-nilly. Pick ones that resonate with your audience and reflect the content of your posts.
Pro Tip: Decide on your content pillars. Content pillars are the topics you want to focus on and be known for with your audience. It’s the stuff you’re an expert in. Let it be your guide in content development and hashtag research.
Don’t Shy Away from Video or The Static
Video content is a social media superstar, not just a one-hit wonder. Don’t be shy about posting a video, whether a quick tutorial, a behind-the-scenes peek at your process, a product how-to, or a before or after on a project.
That being said, there has been a resurgence of static content. The healthiest social media accounts employ a variety of formats. Carousel posts, static photos, and even text-based posts may sometimes outperform video. If you don’t have a big marketing budget, they can be just as effective if done with intention.
Measure, Experiment, & Adapt
In the marketing rodeo, it’s crucial to measure your performance. Check analytics, see what works, and pivot when needed. Don’t be afraid to experiment, too.
Pro Tip: Use social listening on tools like Sprout, HubSpot, or HootSuite to see what your consumers think of your product or service and what your competitors are doing. Share your insights with the rest of your team and cross-functional teams to inspire new content, products, and more.
It’s All an Experiment
Experiment with different platforms and emerging ones. (Anyone else on Threads?) And don’t be afraid to try one at a time and see what works best for you and your business. You don’t have to be everywhere.
Experiment with publishing times to see what drives the best engagement and reach. Many social media tools like Sprout or HootSuite will suggest optimal times based on your top posts.
There you have it—best practices for social media in 2024 and Beyond to get you started on your social media marketing journey in 2024.
Give me a holler if you have any questions, or drop a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. Happy marketing!
Like this article? You might also like…
Why Every Brand Needs a Style Guide
Consistency. You’ve heard it time and time again. That’s because consistency in branding builds trust. It doesn’t matter if you’re a log home contractor. A big brand like Disney. Or a nonprofit. Brands that are consistent with their messaging and image are viewed as...
Make Your Own Marketing Luck
Are We Born Lucky? Some folks seem like they're born lucky, while others feel cursed. I’ve always thought we make our own luck through the choices we make. It turns out there’s science to back that up. According to Richard Wiseman’s book “The Luck Factor”, making...
5 Things to Share: February 2025
Hello Partner, When was the last time you cried in front of someone? It seems like a pretty forward question, doesn’t it? I know I cringe a little when I hear it. I just finished reading Charles Duhigg’s book Supercommunicators. In it, Duhigg argues that we should ask...
Do you need help designing marketing that grabs your customers' attention and engages them?
Give us a holler and schedule a complimentary 30-minute Discovery call, we’d love to help you reach your customers and sell more products.