Creating great content for social media takes conscious effort and a well-developed strategy. You may think what you’re about to post is a great piece of content, but unless you’ve taken into consideration few important questions, that content may not be effective. Learn how to get the most social media engagement for your content by applying these basic social media rules.
1. Is this the right time to post?
Most of us never think about the optimum time to publish a post. It may come as a surprise, but there have been studies conducted just to determine what is the best and the worst time to post on different social platforms. What these studies found out is that:
- You should never tweet after 8 PM and the best time to engage on Twitter is between 9 AM and 3 PM
- The best time to get noticed on Facebook is between 1 PM and 4 PM
- While Instagram postings will be most fruitful a bit later – 2 PM to 5 PM
Granted, it doesn’t mean you should never post anything outside these hours, but sticking to them can be useful if you’re trying to gain the most attention from your subscribers.
2. Is the content relevant?
Social media is now almost everywhere, and most people tend to have hundreds if not thousands of friends and businesses in their social media feeds. This means their attention span is reduced when it comes to social media posts, and if you want to catch their eye, you should get into a habit of posting content that continually gives value to your audience. Just before you click the “Post” button, ask yourself – what is the message you are trying to convey?
3. Am I using the right hashtags?
Hashtags have a great purpose when added to a post. They can ensure that people with similar interests can easily find your account, and they also act as a summary for those too busy to read the full post. Make sure to include hashtags that are descriptive and related to what you are posting. The unwritten rule is to add no more than one to three hashtags. Anything more than that may seem spammy.
4. Is the grammar correct?
Making grammar mistakes on your social media posts can make your followers cringe and stop following your account which allows such errors to happen. Therefore, it is important to proofread everything before posting. This way you avoid looking unprofessional and ensure your posts are easy to read.
5. Are the images right for social media?
Images can be an easy way of attracting attention when chosen correctly. Make sure you post high-quality pictures that add to the main idea of your post. If you are posting an image on its own, add at least a few words about what it is, why it’s interesting, and what’s important about it. Posting a picture with no description is usually less appealing for users to comment on, like, or share.
Keep in mind that the content you post on social media is likely to stay there for a long time, and new followers often review even the old content. Putting some extra efforts before sharing content with your audience can make your accounts look professional, informative and worthy of a follow.
