Close to five billion people across the globe use social media. Of those users, the average person spends 145 minutes a day scrolling through their news feeds. This presents a great opportunity for businesses to connect with customers and even drive revenue through social media.  

As a business, posting on social media probably seems like second nature. Find an image, add a caption and click Post. Voila!

While you can use this general approach, you need to put in a lot more thought and preparation if you want to develop a successful social media presence for your business. Whether your aim is to attract new clients to your business or keep your customers in the loop, make sure your social media posts are timely, eye-catching and goal-oriented.

Be Timely

Aim for three posts a week, if possible. Because most social media platforms show posts in chronological order on users’ news feeds, you’ll get better visibility if you post more often. If this isn’t feasible for your business, aim for at least one post a week (four times a month).

Developing a planning calendar is one of the best ways to keep track of your posts, especially if you use multiple social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, etc.). Try to choose a day each month to schedule your social plan so what you post, where you post and when you post for the next four weeks is readily available. A wide variety of online resources and tools are available to help create a social media planning calendar.

Make ‘em Look Good

The first thing social media users notice is the visual content of a post. It’s human nature. In fact, short, quick videos are known to be the most engaging type of visual content on social media. (Which probably explains why TikTok, which is notoriously video-heavy, had the highest fourth-quarter revenue in 2022 compared with Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.)

Whether it’s a photo, infographic, video or animation, having a visual versus not having a visual can determine if a user will stop and engage with your post.

Also keep in mind what kind of color scheme you want to use throughout. Using a similar color palette or branding across the board can help your customers more easily identify your posts within the sea of content their eyes swim through on their news feeds.

Including a small amount of text in your imagery is another way to create eye-catching posts. This could be as simple as a headline, call to action or infographic with quick, important information for customers to digest. If you’re interested in making your own social media graphics, Canva is a great (and free!) tool to use.

Crush your Goals

The frequency and visual content of your posts are essential to a successful social media presence, but these two factors won’t be able to stand on their own if the post isn’t effective.

Every post should be created with a goal in mind. What do you want your customer, consumer or follower to take away with them after engaging with your post? Do you want to offer a product or service? Are you trying to obtain customer feedback? Do you want the messaging to be educational or inspirational? Are you highlighting a special event or sale? Are you trying to achieve brand recognition?

Every business will have its own unique goals for posting on social media, and every post will be different, but be sure to consider what you’re trying to do before you post! It’s never a good idea to post something on social media “just because.” 

The social media world offers many opportunities. Don’t let the task of posting feel like a nuisance or extra step in your business plan — make it a priority and see how many people you can reach. You never know, maybe one of your posts will go viral! (Just kidding, kind of …)

If you would like some assistance with your social media needs, don’t hesitate to reach out!