The old adage ‘you learn something new everyday’ is definitely true for anyone who is working with social media platforms. Even if you work with the same platforms everyday, there is always something new to try and learn that can add value to your social media strategy. Today, we’re passing along a few helpful and simple ‘did you know’ tips for popular social media platforms.
• Hashtags aren’t just for Twitter users. Creating and using a hashtag on all of your images is just as important on Instagram as it is on Twitter.
• The benefits of using a hashtag on Instagram are similar Twitter. On Instagram, if you create a hashtag it will automatically form into a link – that link will take you to any and all images that use the same hashtag.
• In addition to searching for other popular hashtags, you can also track all of your hashtags that you’ve created so you can see what you have been tagging in the past.
• Instagram isn’t the only photo app that you can use to alter your images. There are many other apps that provide similar editing such as Afterlight. However, these apps do not have the social aspect of Instagram and certainly don’t have the reach of over 100 million users. So if you’re ready to join Instagram, make sure you recognize that it is not just a photo-editing app – the site has grown to one of the biggest social media platforms of this year.
• Hashtags can and should also be used on Pinterest. They have the same tagging and tracking capabilities that Twitter and Instagram have.
• Even though you cannot add a website link to a description, there is still an easy way to promote your product though Pinterest using a price tag. They are very simple to add – you simply put the price in the description and use the $ symbol and it will add the price tag to your listing.
• In adding the price tag it also automatically adds your pin to the searchable “gifts” tab. Here, users are able to search for gifts within a certain price range. If you don’t have your price listed, your product won’t show up!
• You can also try Secret Boards for Pinterest. If you aren’t familiar with secret boards you should check out my post on the best ways to use this feature.
• It’s just as important to link all of your other social media sites to your Facebook page as it is to link them to your website. Your profile toolbar/tabs, that directly below your cover image, is something you should spend some time working on. Using Facebook “apps” you can connect your company’s Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter account and more. These will show up directly into your Facebook page so that your follower won’t even need to click away from your page.
• Usually when the little red box appears in your “world” icon, it means someone has posted to your wall, commented on an image, or done something that is directly related to you. But did you know that you can also “follow” friends, brands and companies so whenever they update or post, you will get an immediate notification? Go to their page, find the “like” button and when you click on it there will be an option to “get notifications.” This eliminates the need to wait and see if and when shows up in your feed.
• Linkedin has a similar feature to Facebook’s “business pages” with their Company pages. Many companies are still using “groups” as their page, but this should be avoided. Company pages have all of the benefits of a regular Linkedin profile but you’re also able to post stats and information about your company, news and promotions, job postings and it also allows people to “follow you” much like any other social media site.
• I find a lot of great articles that I share through other social media platforms on Linkedin. In my opinion, it’s an untapped resource for those who want articles and information about news in their specific industry. You can also subscribe to “channels” on Linkedin so that the content that appears in your Linkedin Today is directly relevant to the topics or industry that you choose.
• Your own personal News Feed is there, every time you log into Linkedin. Many people don’t realize it serves the exact same purpose as the Facebook News Feed. All of the individuals, companies and groups that you follow will appear within this News Feed as you update. Whether it’s a new job, article or a simple status, you are able to “like,” “share” or “comment” on these types of posts.
There are many more tips and tricks on social media platforms but these are just a few of the basics. Are there other tips that you use on social media platforms that you want to share? We’d love to hear them!
