Logos of social media combined to form a heart shape
(Photo by kdonovangaddy via Flickr)

The Key To Social Media Marketing Is…

(Photo by kdonovangaddy via Flickr)

… consistency.

That’s it. Whether it’s posting daily or every-other-day, this is the one thing that has helped me through every single Facebook algorithm change over nearly 6 years of running a business, with all of my clients. I’m singling out Facebook because it seems to be the place that has had the most changes and criticism over the past years, but this could apply to any social site.

There are certainly other elements that come into play. You do have to make adjustments in order to stay current with the trends. You have to learn the best time to post. You have to learn if video is better than a photo. You might have to spend a bit more on boosting posts and ads (but not much). To be perfectly honest, posting consistently and engaging with organic posts can help you decrease your spending on ads because your reach will grow. All of these things depend on your business, because they all work differently. I’m being very general here because this post is about being consistent.

Your amazing video isn’t going to be seen by as many if the previous post was made a week or even three days ago, it doesn’t matter how popular video is currently- even if you boost it. No one is going to see you have an event if the only time you mention the event is the day you announce it, and again the day before.

I suggest to all of my potential clients either one post a day, or one post every-other-day. There can be more in that day, but at the very least once. A business should show their presence on at least one social media site daily. For instance, if you post Tuesday on Facebook, make sure you post on Twitter or Instagram on Wednesday. Make sure you post on Facebook again Wednesday or Thursday. (This also shows the importance of having a plan and a posting schedule. You don’t want to try and remember when to post where- have it written down!)

Yes, this takes work. Many mid-sized businesses have a marketing division that handles all of this. Many do not. It’s up to you to decide ultimately if the investment in social media marketing is worth it.

It’s up to me to tell you that it absolutely is. It is still the least expensive way to market your business (even with an ad budget). If you’re not sure what you need, get in touch. I help with training you or your team, or managing your sites for you. Go out there and start posting!