There's no doubt that the world of social media is growing and at a rapid pace. But the sense or want for connection is not something that is entirely new; it is the immediacy for the technological world that is changing the game of human connectivity. Social media now allows for numerous platforms for two-way communication in an instant! Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter connect us in ways that traditional media no longer can. At CIPR Communications, we work with a variety of industries looking to level up their social media game and we believe that social media should be a key component of your marketing and communications plan.

Visuals

Social media has many opportunities for your company or brand. Social media is, in most cases, quite visual; meaning that social platforms allow you to show off your brand's personality in ways that are easily digestible for your viewing audience. While it is important to stay polished and curated in order to stand out, social media also allows you to give your audience a behind the scenes glimpse into the day to day operations and goings on of your brand or company. This builds loyalty and support – it humanizes your company's personality.

Audiences

Something else that is important to consider is that each social media platform comes with its own set of target audiences. It is important for you to understand who and what platform your intended audiences is most likely to be using. Are you trying to reach the leaders of your industries companies? Or are you trying to navigate the aesthetics of Instagram to reach millennials? Your target audience will determine the best platforms to use.

Conversations

Did you know that communication is defined as two-parties having a common understanding? Social media is all about that – it's about being social. Social allows you to engage with your followers or audience and have a two-way conversation. This means more reach, more engagement and the more your audience is going to notice your brand.

You may be wondering how you will engage and what will you engage about on social media. Social media conversations happen on and off your social media accounts. Many conversations might start by your brand reaching out directly and becoming a part of conversations. Other conversations will start because of the content you have posted directly. The aim of both is to get more followers engaging with your organic content.

Do:

Encourage your employees to use their personal accounts to share compliant information (where appropriate), and to like and share your corporate account posts. You may need to generate organic reach and the best way to get this started is by asking employees to help. Remember to have a social media policy in place for staff – as a best practice, the "don't list" above should be included in your social media policy.

Do:

Ask your friends and family members to like and share your corporate social media posts on their personal pages for the same reasons as above. Ask everyone who supports you or your brand to do the same. Ask your e-newsletter subscribers. Ask on your website. Ask everywhere and ask a lot.

Do:

Share images of your staff. Adding a personal touch to your business or brand helps your followers connect and engage with your platform. Our expert social media advisor suggests utilizing features such as Instagram stories to provide additional content engagement for your followers that fall outside of your curated grid style.

Do:

Consider your audience and ensure that you are providing them with top quality content that is easily digestible for them. The best way that we have found for you to organize and plan out your content is through a calendar approach. By using a calendar you have a high level, and visual plan of what is coming up each week as well as the ability to plan as far in advance as you'd like!