This is the second in a series. For the first chapter, click here.
In Chapter 1, we dismissed the untruth that managing social media is an impossibly difficult task. In this chapter, we’ll give you some tips on how to succeed on social media, as well as ranking higher in search results.
Social Media
With so many different services that seem to constantly update and change, the world of social media can be a disorienting world of food selfies, political drama, and endless noise. However, to those who know how to navigate its nuances, it can be a powerful tool for reaching and staying in contact with customers. Here are a few suggestions on how to make your social posting as powerful as possible.
Check (and double check) your spelling and grammar.
Not everyone is a grammar freak, but you want to put your best foot forward and present your brand as professionally as possible.
Keep your punctuation in check.
Each sentence gets only ONE exclamation or question mark.
Use ellipses (…) sparingly.
When you do use them, be sure that you don’t use more than 3 periods…
Teen texting abbreviations r not gr8.
Stay away from abbreviating words; for example, changing ‘your’ to ‘ur’, or ‘great’ to ‘gr8’.
Word count makes a big difference.
Studies have shown over and over again that limiting the amount of letters and words in a post can dramatically increase your engagement (up to 8x!)
- Twitter: 100 characters
- Facebook: 40 characters
- Instagram: 125-225, 5-10 hashtags
- LinkedIn: 25 Words
Make it personal
Golfers may want to hear about your tournaments and daily bar specials, but adding a personal flair will make them more likely to engage. Is it a charity tournament? What did the winner of the tournament have to overcome to get there? Who is the head chef? These kind of questions are good to keep in mind.
What is SEO?
We use Google so much that the verb “google” is now recognized by most major dictionaries. But for how much people use it, small businesses often don’t realize that they can make a much larger splash in their community by taking advantage of Google’s (and other search engines’) searching power.
Google uses complex algorithms to give you the most relevant results when you type in “cat videos” into the search bar. This means that companies are constantly trying to follow those algorithms’ rules so that they will show up on the first page—and maybe even the first place—of Google results, so Google is constantly changing their rules so that people can’t artificially make their website more relevant. This makes search engine optimization (SEO) one of the fastest-changing and impenetrable areas of tech to the uninitiated.
Raising Occupancy: Marketing in the Digital Age
How to rank high in search results
However, there is a general rule that never changes, and that is that Google is always searching for authentic, real content. You can use that to your advantage in the following ways:
Content
Always seek to create high-quality content for your website. Make your pages well-designed and easy to read, and make sure that your pages are all accessible from every page of your website.
Contact page
A “Contact Us” page on your website shows Google that your website is more likely to be a real business, and they rank you higher accordingly.
Social sharing
Including your website’s link in your social posts is a simple way to boost your ranking in search engines.
If you are still having trouble getting your website to a higher place on the search results, you can always use services like Google Adwords, where you can pay to have your course’s website at the top of the search results. When you use that service, Google shows that your link is an ad, and you pay Google each time that link is clicked. Costs vary depending on the popularity of your keywords.
Though it may be a little confusing or time-intensive, making the most of social media and upgrading your SEO are two sure-fire ways to maximize your online presence and take your business into the age of technology. These tips, vetted by industry experts, will allow you to easily and quickly gain a sizeable social media following and rank better in search results.
Come back next week for Chapter 3!
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