By: Allison Rodriguez
Ah, youth. We don’t really miss it, but there are some advantages to being young and on the cutting edge: the ability to get up from chairs quickly, an enforced bed time, string cheese sticks, and, of course, knowing all of the ins and outs of social media.
Social media can seem like more effort than it’s worth for your ed tech company, given all the tiny details you have to learn. The kids know what they’re doing here, though—social media is one of the fastest-growing ways for you to promote brand awareness, identify influencers, and engage with prospects. This post features five of our favorite tips and tricks to make you look like a social media pro.
- Unless you only want to message one person, don’t start a post with the @ symbol.
Those of you who already know this tip might be rolling your eyes, but it’s a mistake marketers make all too often! If you tag someone at the beginning of a post, only they will be able to see it. There’s an easy way to fix this! Simply add a period before the @ symbol, and your post will be visible to all.
- Follow and favorite people who like or share your posts.
This tip is all about sharing the love: When people are showing interest in you on social media, give it right back! If someone shares your post, like it and give them a follow. If someone likes your post, like something of theirs that you found helpful. Social media is about building a network, and that’s not likely to happen unless you engage with people who are taking an interest in you.
- Mention other ed tech companies, schools, districts, or thought leaders that you admire.
This tip also requires you to think about networking. Networking on social media mirrors networking in real life (IRL, for all those trying to be especially social media savvy). You want to group yourself with companies and educators who are like-minded, who share your company’s values, and who promote those goals in ways that you admire. Your social media presence should not be a constant infomercial for your products and services.
- Schedule posts at various times to test and identify when they’re making the most impact.
Many people in decision-making roles tend to check social media right after or before a meeting or lunch, in passing. These “passing periods” tend to happen at the top and bottom of the hour. Scheduling your tweets during those times helps you catch people’s attention when they’re in a position to give it.
- Make your headlines pop.
According to Quicksprout, eight out of 10 people will read your headline, but only two out of 10 will read the rest of your post. Let’s consider the kids again. If something isn’t grabbing their attention online within the first five seconds, they’re moving on to something better. Well, adults aren’t very different. To be successful on social media, you need to capture readers’ interest from the get-go with a stellar headline.
Being effective and well-received on social media is an ongoing lesson. Your presence will change as your network grows and your brand evolves. To continue learning about how you can utilize this free, but mercurial, outlet, check out our blog post Use SMART Goals to Guide Your Social Media Marketing.
Thanks for sharing!
