How to

Actionable ideas to boost your company’s social media presence

Software development companies in Sri Lanka

Today social media is a big part of most companies marketing strategy, and to be inactive on social media as a company is not even an option anymore. But with all the social media platforms we have today, it can be hard to know on which platforms you should be active, and how you use them in the best possible way.

You should use different platforms in different ways, but there are some general tips that apply to all social media platforms. This short article where I share some general tips, is a good starting point.

In this article I will share some tips on how to use 4 of the most commonly used social media platforms that we have today.
Software development companies in Sri Lanka
Twitter:
There are a lot of benefits for a company to be active on Twitter, so the question to ask yourself is not if you should use Twitter, but how to use it. If you have no clue on how to use Twitter in the best way, or if you get confused by all retweeting and hashtagging, this should be helpful!

Twitter is a microblogging service that allows you to write short posts with a maximum 280 characters. Compared to other social media, Twitter is a very “relaxed” platform. By relaxed, I mean that you should be open and have a personal tone.

Another thing that is important on Twitter is to lay off the sales talk, Twitter is not the right platform for this, which means that you should not share a lot of tweets about how awesome your product/service is. People get tired of such accounts quickly and tend to tune out your tweets.

Twitter is not for one-sided communication, but excellent for discussions. Start off by participating in discussions about topics you have expertise in and where you can contribute. If you provide good and relevant tips you will build credibility with other followers, which will make you a valuable contact for them.

Twitter is probably the platform where you should put the most focus on hashtags (a # followed by a word – categorize your tweet and make it searchable), which hashtags are trending right now? Which hashtags are trending in your industry? Be creative with your hashtags, maybe start your own hashtag trend? However, studies have shown that you should not use more than two hashtags per tweet. So don’t go overboard.

Something I love with Twitter is the ability to retweet. Retweeting means sharing someone else’s tweet, which is perfect if you want to give your followers good and valuable content often, but do not have enough content yourself. I mean, just look at this guy! He retweets A LOT, and has 245K followers. It’s not a company page, but it still shows that retweeting works!

Also as this article says, “people who send out more retweets tend to receive more retweets”. So give and you shall receive – remember to retweet!

If someone writes something positive about you, you should also retweet it, to show your appreciation. Twitter is often used as a fast and public customer service, so make sure to always answer questions or comments as soon as possible. This is very important since quick responses are expected on Twitter.

Instagram:
Instagram was launched in 2010 as a new platform where users could share their photos quickly and easily. Thanks to its simplicity, Instagram grew fast, and after only 2 years, Facebook bought Instagram for a record price.

Today, Instagram has millions of active users, and is a meeting place for both individuals and businesses. So of course your company should be on Instagram! But what do you have to do to stand out on Instagram?

Since Instagram is all about pictures, you need to put some extra effort to the pictures you post. Make sure to always publish high quality images.

Instagram users sees loads of photos every day on Instagram, so you have to post photos that stands out to catch attention, and that makes your followers feel something. Show your products or services in a creative way.

One example of a company who is successful on instagram, with 83.6 MN followers, is Nike. You might think that most of their photos would be of their sneakers or clothes, but it’s not.

You’ll find heartwarming and inspiring posts about athletes and their stories, record breaking sports highlights and influential moments in sport. They are creative and good at evoking feelings with their posts.

Software development companies in Sri LankaSoftware development companies in Sri Lanka
Instagram is also often used to show what happens behind the scenes of the company. Share pictures of what’s happening during your work days. Is it someone’s birthday? Did someone bring his dog to the office? Do you play pool during lunch breaks? Let your followers be a
part of your days! This way you build a more personal and human relationship with your followers.

Instagram gives you the opportunity to provide quick updates that show what’s happening right now. Use stories to show what you are doing, have polls or let your followers ask you questions.

Use the live stream feature to allow your followers to participate in real-time events, see new releases or something else that may be of interest to them.

LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is the absolute largest network for B2B relationships, so it’s very likely that many of your customers, potential customers and competitors are there, which means that you should also be there. But in order to succeed well on LinkedIn, there are a few things to keep in mind.

One thing that is very important when it comes to LinkedIn is your company page. Since the first thing people see when they are searching for your company is the company page, it is very important to spend some time and give it some love. Make sure that it clearly and easily tells you what you are doing and how to contact you, and that it is always up to date with the correct information.
The first impression means a lot.

It is also important that you show your expertise on LinkedIn. Participate in discussions about topics where you have good knowledge. If people see that you are have good knowledge and that you are great at what you do, it will build confidence in you and your business.
LinkedIn is perfect place for recruiting. Fill your network with people in your industry and start looking for talented potential employees.
There are lots of industry-specific groups on LinkedIn, so make sure to be active in groups in your industry. Here you can share knowledge and create new valuable contacts.

If someone interacts with your posts on LinkedIn (likes or comments) the post will be visible to their followers too. This means that sharing content that people interact with makes it easy to spread widely, so think about what content your followers want to see.

Facebook:
Having a company page on Facebook is a no-brainer for most organisations, and there’s a lot of perks of having one. But even on Facebook there is a few things to consider in order to stand out.
Software development companies in Sri Lanka
Something to think about when using Facebook is that content is king! Share content your followers wants to see. In order for your followers to engage with your content you need to give them something they value. What advice can you give them? What are they interested in seeing?
If you provide content that your followers appreciate, they will like/comment/share it, which makes you reach more people.

I usually look at Facebook as a mix between LinkedIn and Twitter. You can be relaxed, open and personal, but also share content that markets your company. Make sure to have a mix between relaxed and more professional content.

Another great part of Facebook is the targeted marketing platform it offers. You can choose to market your posts, and you can choose to target your exact target market. Target your marketing to the correct people and there is a big chance that your potential clients will see it.
Facebook is also a great place to hold contests! Create contests where your followers have a chance to win your products or services in exchange for them to comment/share/like the post. When your followers comments on or shares the contest, the reach of your post increases which means you reach more people and potential clients.

The company Diamond Candles managed to get over 30,000 new fans in less than 6 weeks by having contest where you could win their product – candles, if you liked their Facebook page.

If you want to read more about successful Facebook contests, you can do that here.

So there you have it. A few ideas that you can implement immediately for boosting your company’s performance on social media. Let us know if you’ve already tried any of these out and how they’ve worked for you, in the comments!