IDA Universal

I DA U N I V E R S A L M a rc h -A p r i l 2 0 1 7 4 EDITOR'S NOTES Nancy Estes, MBA, CAE Executive Director/Editor A t least 86 percent of Americans are now internet users, according to the latest data, and social media is one of the most cost-eff ective ways to connect those internet users with your business. Looking to increase your brand's reach on social media? Columnist Will Scott has 10 tips: 1. Make sure you're on Google and Facebook. At a bare minimum, you need to make sure that your business has a presence on the most popular search engine and social media sites. If your business has been around a while, it probably already has a listing on Google, but you need to claim that listing to make sure that your business hours and contact information are correct. Claiming the listing also allows you to respond to reviews. 2. Make your own personal social media accounts. e best way to learn about social media is by creating an account for your business. When you have your own LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook pages, you will have a better idea of the diff erent markets with each site. Some companies make the mistake of trying to force their branding message onto every site, and this can be perceived as artifi cial and disingenuous. Once you have had a chance to see how other businesses in your industry handle their social media accounts, you can decide how your business can engage in an authentic and sustainable way. Increasing Your Reach through Social Media 3. Diversify your social media presence. Social media is always changing, but there's a real advantage to having a presence on several diff erent sites. e individual social media sites also change every few years, and Twitter could be on the cusp of new changes. Your social media profi les on diff erent sites can feed into each other, and individual sites each have their unique advantages. Creating a YouTube page and posting a few videos is an easy way to boost your search ranking. 4. Choose your target demographic. LinkedIn is better for B2B promotions and fi nding profes- sional clients. LinkedIn also can be useful for recruiting new staff . Ultimately, the way you defi ne your target demographic will shape the way you use each of your business's social media pages. 5. Avoid engaging in fake news. It can be tempting to hop on board with an edgy or viral meme, but that also can impact the way your company is perceived. 6. Live broadcast a video. In addition to the wider choice of reactions to a post, Facebook added live video feeds in 2016. Broadcasting a live video on Facebook is comparable to having a local news crew show up at your business. A live broadcast can be the perfect way to publi- cize a special event or sale. 7. Provide an immersive experience. Similar to the innovations in live video, Facebook also has added the capability for 360-degree photos and videos. e immersive experience allows your audience to feel more engaged than a standard picture or video post. Rent a 360-degree camera, and you can give customers a tour of your facility or virtually walk them through your front door. Sponsor an athlete in your community to make a promo- tional video that has the potential to go viral. e businesses that think of innovative ways to exploit these new forms of media will be the most successful in promoting their brands. 8. Time your postings. If you aren't careful about the times you post on social media, then you aren't reaching the largest possible audience. e best time to post depends on the type of social media page you're using. Facebook and Twitter posts get the widest circulation in the evening, later in the week. LinkedIn, on the other hand, gets the most traffi c in the morning in the middle of the work week. Many social media sites allow you to schedule your posts for peak hours, so your business can still have Facebook posts going online while the offi ce is empty. 9. Keep up with the times. Every business wants to "go viral" with content that gets widely circulated on social media. Unfortunately, there's no way to calculate exactly the right kind of post to generate that kind of response. Ultimately, social media should be an opportunity to

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