4 Basic Social Media Tips That Even the Experts Sometimes Forget
Getty Images

In 2010, media website Mashable launched Social Media Day “as a way to recognize and celebrate social media‘s impact on global communication.”

Since then, it has become a global phenomenon, with people celebrating around the world — online and in person — to share their love of all things social.

But what is social media anyway? It’s broader than you think. It encompasses the obvious things like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat — but also Tumblr, Youtube, Instagram, and even podcasts.

It’s probably easier to define it by what it isn’t (television, radio, or newspapers, for example) than by what it is. There are so many options that while people used to attempt to master all the types of media, today it’s more common to pick only one medium and corner that.

For this year’s Social Media Day, I’ve gathered a few experts in my hometown of Las Vegas to give their unique perspective of what will give your social media a boost. Here are their top four tips:

1. Stay on target.

Krista Whitley is the CEO of Social Media Unicorn, a marketing and sales agency for cannabis businesses. She stresses that you need to clearly define your targets.

“Often clients can become distracted by metrics that aren’t applicable to their goals,” Whitley says. “So suddenly they’re upset that their Facebook audience isn’t growing dramatically when the goal is lead generation and our team is exceeding the lead generation goal.”

2. Say it in memes.

Warren Whitlock, host of the Social Media Radio show and a bestselling author, believes that you need to stand out.

“Today, more than ever, it’s vital that you distil your message into a short meme that can be shared,” Whitlock says.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean every post should be a cat picture. Just make sure your message is, as Whitlock explains, “a sound byte version that is consistent and repeatable.”

3. Make a connection.

Cat Goldberg, founder of “neuromarketing” company Brainbuzz, tries to get inside the heads of her audiences — in combination with blogs and videos to understand customer needs better.

“Social media allows you to be in front of your target customer’s eyes while also engaging them in conversation,” Goldberg says. “This authentic connection will make them more curious about you.”

4. The customer is everything.

Steve Wiideman, an SEO expert and president of the Wiideman Consulting Group, says that the essential things are the most basic. “The most important lesson that I’ve learned is to listen,” he explains. “Listen to reviews, opinions, blog commentary, tags used, interpretation, hashtags, and anything else your patrons and prospects might be saying about you, your industry and your products.”

Whatever your main platform for social media, with these tips you’re guaranteed to have a great social media day!

Jun 30, 2017
Afton Vechery, co-founder of Modern Fertility.
Afton Vechery, co-founder of Modern Fertility.

For Modern Fertility’s Afton Vechery, the biggest adjustment to going remote during the coronavirus crisis has been minor but symbolic: “I’ve had to switch from contacts to glasses because of all the screen time and video calls,” she says. Vechery co-founded her home-fertility-test startup, which has $22 million in funding, in 2017. While many now have plenty of time on their hands for, well, fertility, Vechery is busier than ever. Here’s how she stays productive.

Climb Every Mountain

The alarm clock buzzes at 6:30 a.m. “A lot of founders have these amazing morning productivity hacks, like meditation,” says Vechery. “For me, the single greatest motivating factor is to just be doing something I love. And so, uh, that translates to emails in bed when I wake up.” After that, Vechery typically bikes to work. During the crisis, she’s swapped her commute for an early-morning ride to the top of San Francisco’s Twin Peaks. It doubles as me time. “It’s really helpful to understand what’s going to bubble up from your subconscious when you’re not being stimulated sitting in front of a computer,” she says.

Face Time

Vechery’s days in quarantine include more one-on-one meetings than they did before, but that’s the cost of keeping information flowing. Modern Fertility has implemented daily meetings at which employees can check on current and upcoming projects. And the staff has organized optional virtual lunches and happy hours, which Vechery will drop into when she can. Whether at home or in the office, she and co-founder Carly Leahy generally eat dinner while working and wrap up around 9 p.m.–though they encourage staffers to leave earlier.

Clear Screen, Clear Mind

Vechery relies on an app called Captio, which lets the founder email a note to herself with one click. But you won’t find the Captio icon on her iPhone’s home screen, which is clear of everything but three apps: Calendar, Clock, and Notes. Manually searching for apps lets Vechery ignore distracting notifications. “As a founder, there’s constantly something else you could be doing,” she says. “But when you have space to think through what you’re working on, you’re a better leader.”

Portion Control

When she makes time for a TV show, Vechery starts with the season finale and views the episodes in reverse order. The strange habit helps prevent the urge to binge. “I have an incredibly addictive personality,” she says. “So this is better for everyone.” Vechery also unwinds by playing the trumpet. “It’s a total break from everything else in life,” she says. “It lets you process your thoughts in a really different way.”

May 13, 2020

Want to keep up to date with all the latest news and events?

X
X
X