10 Best Social Media Practices that Winning Businesses Follow

Last updated on June 13th, 2023 at 09:55 pm

Isn’t it incredible how nearly every business has a presence on social media these days? Can you believe there are over 30 million company accounts on LinkedIn alone? Yes, it’s true – social media channels have become a crucial component of every brand’s marketing strategy.

But what sets apart the thriving businesses from those that struggle? In this article, we will delve into the best social media practices that successful businesses consistently implement.

You’ll discover how to harness the power of social media for your own business, understand the impact that various social networks can have, and explore the statistics that demonstrate the essential role social media plays in today’s marketing landscape.

So let’s start by asking ourselves, why is social media so vital for businesses?

Why Businesses Need Social Media Channels

Social media truly is a unique universe, wouldn’t you agree? What makes it so distinct? Well, it has the remarkable ability to gather an enormous number of users.

When we talk about social media, we’re referring to the diverse range of platforms available today – from the well-established giants to the up-and-coming contenders.

And each of these platforms has its own different weight.

In terms of the user population, here are the recent numbers per mainstream social media platform:

And can you imagine? We haven’t even touched upon the ever-growing list of social media apps that users are embracing as we speak.

Businesses have come to realize that establishing social media accounts is among the most effective ways to forge connections and showcase their offerings. Having a social media channel enables companies to craft a unique profile and engage with customers on a more personal level.

A fascinating report by Kleiner Perkins in 2018 unveiled that 78% of Facebook users had stumbled upon new products while browsing the app. Amazing, isn’t it?

Moreover, social media accounts empower businesses to share a variety of content, such as video content, images, and articles, all in the name of promoting their products.

The numbers clearly indicate that having a social media presence is a crucial aspect of marketing in today’s world, and those businesses without it are left lagging behind.

To ensure you don’t find yourself at a disadvantage, let’s dive into the best social media practices that will enable you to maximize the potential of your social media marketing efforts. Ready to make a splash?

10 Best Social Media Practices for Businesses

As social media becomes an increasingly important part of marketing, more and more businesses are looking to find success on various platforms. However, not all businesses know the social media best practices to follow to achieve this success.

Here, we will outline the 10 social media best practices that businesses should apply to maximize marketing results on social media.

1. Discover the social channels frequented by your target audience.

This one tops the list of essential social media best practices – and for good reason. Businesses need to be present wherever their target audience gathers, including the right social media platforms.

If your target audience is active on Facebook, you should be there too. If they’re all about Twitter, you need to join them. Pinpointing where your target market resides might be challenging, but it’s well worth the effort to research and find out. The more precisely you target your marketing, the greater your chances of success.

Thankfully, there are numerous social media tools available to help you with this task.

Businesses utilize a range of social media platforms to connect with their target audiences. Popular choices include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. However, it’s crucial for businesses to first investigate which platforms their target market most frequently uses.

Gartner suggests that if you’re operating in the B2B realm, the top three social media platforms to focus on are LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. For those involved in influencer marketing, Instagram and TikTok are the places to find your audience.

2. Don’t use every popular social media platform; don’t get swayed by the shiny new thing!

No, there’s no need to rush and create an account on every new social platform that emerges. What truly matters is being present on the right social media networks.

In fact, businesses don’t need to maintain a presence on multiple social media platforms. Often, concentrating on just a few platforms and truly excelling at them can be more effective than spreading yourself too thin, especially in regard to content strategy.

First and foremost, you must identify the most crucial social media platform for your business. Then, focus your efforts there.

Being omnipresent on social media is often mistakenly considered one of the best practices; however, this is not the case. Prioritizing the right channels is key.

As a content creator who develops courses and offers services to influencers and businesses, focusing your efforts on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram would be highly beneficial. For instance, YouTube allows you to create longer-form videos (as well as shorts) that can increase awareness of your services.

Dedicating ample time to Facebook and LinkedIn may not produce the same results as YouTube and TikTok. Why is that? Simply because Facebook and LinkedIn might not be the go-to platforms for your target audience if you’re a content creator looking to expand your reach.

So, before settling on which social media networks to utilize, conduct thorough research to identify your target market. Don’t get lured by the latest, flashiest platform – it may not align with your social media strategy as effectively as others.

3. Don’t sell right away!

This aspect of essential social media best practices delves into the importance of self-control as a marketer or business. Naturally, the ultimate goal of any business is to generate sales. However, being overly aggressive in your approach can backfire.

Before attempting to sell, it’s crucial to engage with customers, as this fosters trust and helps build relationships. When customers feel connected to a business, they are more likely to remain loyal and make repeat purchases.

Moreover, by engaging with customers, businesses can gain valuable insights into their interests, preferences, and dislikes. This information can be used to refine the business and develop improved products and services.

Instead of solely concentrating on making a sale, prioritize providing value first – and do so consistently. Building relationships first is a no-brainer in social media best practices.

So, how can you deliver value to customers without pushing for a sale?

4. Always create opportunities for dialogue

Social media thrives on interaction, and anything that encourages your target audience to engage with you is undoubtedly among the top social media best practices.

One content strategy to generate buzz is to create opportunities for dialogue. When your readers feel they can interact with you, sharing their thoughts and ideas, they are more likely to become invested in your content.

For instance, when planning your next video content, ensure it’s centered around a timely, hot topic to maximize engagement. By focusing your video content on a subject with people talking on platforms like TikTok or Twitter, you’re more likely to attract reactions and comments.

Since it’s a trending topic, people will be more inclined to delve into the content and share their opinions. Make sure to be responsive to comments and questions while always respecting your readers’ feedback. This approach will foster a sense of connection and encourage further interaction.

5. Focus on your KPIs

Understanding your KPIs, or key performance indicators, is crucial when developing social media analytics to inform your decision-making. Checking the numbers is essential in social media best practices.

By monitoring your KPIs, you can evaluate the effectiveness of your social media campaigns and determine if they are yielding the desired results.

This data enables you to fine-tune your campaigns for improved outcomes and overall social media success. Later in this article, we’ll provide an overview of what social media KPIs entail and their significance.

Keeping track of your KPIs can help you identify which social media platforms offer the best return on investment, allowing you to concentrate your efforts on those channels.

Here are some KPIs that businesses should monitor in their social media marketing efforts.

If you have a dedicated social media team to monitor this, the better.

6. Align your social media marketing to your overall marketing goals

Businesses should incorporate social media marketing into their overall marketing objectives, as it enables them to reach a wider audience and convey their message effectively. Furthermore, social media provides businesses with the opportunity to engage with customers and gain valuable insights about them.

One method to harmonize your social media strategy with other marketing goals is to ensure your social media content complements and reinforces your broader marketing initiatives.

Another approach to aligning your social media efforts with your overall marketing objectives is by using social media to foster stronger connections with customers. By interacting with customers and facilitating dialogue, businesses can better understand their needs and preferences.

For instance, if you’re hosting a contest on your website, promote it across your social media pages. Additionally, utilize social media to drive traffic to your other marketing channels, boosting their effectiveness.

7. Listen to your target market

When crafting your social media content strategy, incorporating social listening is crucial.

Social listening involves keeping an eye on different social media platforms for mentions of your business, products, or brand. By doing so, you can effectively gauge public sentiment about your company and the conversations surrounding it.

Moreover, social listening can assist in identifying potential customers and leads. By paying attention to online discussions, you can gather valuable information about people’s needs, enabling you to develop relevant content and enhance your products and services.

There are several methods businesses can employ to conduct social listening effectively.

8. When creating content, make sure it can influence your audience

When developing content, businesses should prioritize influencing their target audience, enabling them to create relevant and appealing content for their customers.

As mentioned earlier, it’s crucial not to be overly focused on selling. The importance of social influencing reinforces this notion. When your brand leverages various resources to deeply engage your audience, it becomes easier to sell in the long run.

These resources can include Facebook posts, blog articles, carousel posts on Instagram, or TikTok videos. Consistency is key, regardless of the format you choose. Implementing a social media content calendar is another best practice to consider.

By providing reliable and engaging content that your audience can enjoy anytime, you establish yourself as an authoritative figure in their eyes.

Furthermore, by concentrating on influencing, businesses can develop content more likely to be shared online, helping them reach a broader audience with their message and enhancing their brand visibility.

9. You shouldn’t connect only with your audience (connect with other brands too!)

Numerous businesses err by solely engaging with their target audience on social media. While connecting with your target market is vital, it’s equally important to establish connections with other businesses.

By doing so, you can build relationships with fellow businesses and exchange content with them, which helps expand your reach and enhance your brand visibility.

Moreover, collaborating with other enterprises allows you to learn from their experiences and receive guidance on refining your social media campaigns.

10. Optimize your brand for selling

Businesses leverage social media to engage with their target audience and promote their products and services. However, to achieve success on social media, businesses must emphasize optimizing their brand for sales within their content strategy.

There are multiple approaches businesses can adopt to optimize their brand for selling on social media. Some of the most efficient techniques include:

Earlier, we mentioned why it’s important to heed your KPIs. Social media is a competitive place for businesses to be in. And for you to compete, you must know how to interpret your KPIs.

So what are the common KPIs when marketing in social media?

Let’s find out.

The Common KPIs in a Social Media Strategy

Adhering to social media best practices is crucial for any business aiming to assess the effectiveness of its social media campaigns. These practices must be quantified. Concentrating on key performance indicators (KPIs) provides businesses with a comprehensive understanding of their social media performance.

Engagement

Engagement is a crucial aspect of social media best practices, enabling businesses to establish a two-way communication channel with their target audience.

By tracking engagement, businesses can evaluate the success of their social media posts and identify which ones resonate with their audience.

This data can then be utilized to craft effective posts in the future. High engagement levels may also suggest that social posts are being shared by others, reaching a wider audience.

But how does one measure engagement?

To gauge engagement, keep track of the likes, comments, and shares your social media content receives from the public. When people find your posts relevant, they typically react, like, comment on, or share the content with their friends.

If your content encourages these types of interactions from your target audience, it means your content is engaging. Users are naturally drawn to engaging content, and they love to interact with it.

Impressions

Impressions are among the most crucial metrics utilized to assess the success of a social media marketing campaign.

This metric is significant because it indicates how many people viewed your post and the extent of its reach across all users connected or encountering your account on a social media platform.

It’s vital to note that impressions differ from reach, and impressions will consistently be higher in number compared to reach. We’ll elaborate on this distinction when we discuss the concept of ‘reach.’

But how do we measure impressions?

Suppose a user scrolls through their timeline and encounters your post. In that case, it adds to the post’s impressions, regardless of whether they engaged with it. If they come across your post again at a later time, it still counts as another impression of your post.

Impressions represent the frequency with which users see a post on a social network.

Reach

Social media reach refers to the number of individuals who have viewed your post or content on a social network. This figure is based on the number of people who have seen your social media post, organically or through paid promotion.

Reach is distinct from impressions.

Not all businesses experience the same level of success with their social media presence. The primary reason is that many businesses need to concentrate on reach, which is a crucial factor when developing a social media strategy.

When crafting content for your social accounts, your goal should be to ensure as many people as possible see it. You can achieve this by sharing your content with your followers and using hashtags to expand your reach.

But how do you measure reach?

For instance, on Facebook, reach is determined by the number of times a user sees your Facebook post for the first time. Whether it’s a micro-blog post or a series of video posts, it counts as a reach when a user views it for the first time.

Here’s how it differs from impressions: Reach is only counted when your post is displayed to a user for the first time. However, if they see it again, it’s now considered an impression, not a reach.

Reach can occur only once for each user. In contrast, impressions are calculated regardless of the number of times a post is displayed to a single user.

In Summary

Social media serves as a vital instrument for businesses to engage with customers and promote their products and services. Adhering to best practices can lead to success in social media marketing.

To achieve success, businesses must concentrate on engagement, impressions, reach, the share of voice, referrals, conversions, and response rate and time. Furthermore, collaborating with other businesses can help expand their audience and enhance brand visibility.