Tips for those who know social

Ah the world of social media... I've been active on social since it began with platforms like Asian Avenue, Friendster and Myspace. The evolution of using an online platform to keep in touch, market your business and self has grown exponentially. What free advice I tend to give out and offer to friends and close acquaintances would seem like common knowledge, but often times folks are counter-intuitive when it comes to utilizing social media the right way. 
Here are some simple tips for those who think they really already know social media and have a good grasp but un-admittedly may need some guidance.

Easy tips for those who think they know social media marketing

1. Less is more. If you already have an established page, posting less will actually help you reach more people. Some think that posting more will prove to be better and gain more likes and traction, but actually it is essential to think quality over quantity in the long run. The algorithm is trying to identify authentic content and anything that looks too spammy will have less reach. 

2. You don't have to make multiple pages for the same brand. A lot of people think new location = new page, but it is best to have one main page be the umbrella of your brand. Starting new pages is more work and means more content and more to juggle. I would recommend having one page that covers multiple locations as the hub of communication.

3. Same business, same location but your name changed - you don't have to create all new pages and start from zero... here's the easiest and best way to make the conversion -- simply, drum roll, change the name of the page. That way you keep all your followers and all the content from before to help explain that your name changed and perhaps your focus did too, but you don't have to start from scratch. The people following you there will likely support you on this new path, if they don't they can unfollow, but it is way better to lose a few followers than to start from absolutely nothing again. 

4. It's all about videos! Create content for posting that is in video format for highest reach. Pictures are good, carousels are great but videos are king. 

5. Good quality imagery is extremely important. Make sure to have clear, focused, on-brand images. Posting a shot of Diamond Head for a Maui restaurant won't make sense and although a nice photo, doesn't translate well. I often see images that don't give a sense of place and have no real meaning when it comes to promoting what it is you are promoting. Make sure what you are posting makes sense to others and not just that it makes sense to you. 

6. It takes someone 7 times to see something before they actually understand or commit it to memory. If you post that you have happy hour once or twice a month... most likely folks aren't going to remember when you have happy hour if at all. You might feel like its repetitive but people are not going to do research, they are simply scrolling. 

7. Always like, share and comment. If you also want to repost user generated content it is part of essential best practices to get consent or at the very least offer photo credit to the source and tag the source - always!