You are probably aware by now that your brand should have a presence on social media. Did you know? Over 45% of the world’s population uses some form of social media. However, what you are doing to build or improve that presence may not be ideal. However, fixing it isn’t rocket science. Here are 5 simple social media best practices you can begin practising from today.

1. Know your audience

Who are you targeting? Who are you speaking to? If you don’t know who your audience is, you can’t give them what they want. Do your research, rely on analytics and data.

You must understand things like what they want, what they like, where they are, what languages they speak, how much do they earn and what do they do in their spare time, etc.

Audience research helps you craft relevant content and ads. This can then lead to higher conversion rates and stronger social media ROI.

2. Know your networks

Don’t go for quantity over quality. Trying to conquer just about every network or platform might make you a master of none.

Research the demographics. Understanding social media demographics helps you fine-tune your marketing strategy and reach the right people.

For example, a research done in 2020 showed that 74.4% of Singaporeans use FB. And 51% of FB users in Singapore are men, 49% are women and the majority are aged 25-34.

Comparatively, the same research showed that only 34.4% of the country’s population are on IG.

For that reason, the majority of marketers in the country focus on FB pages and have invested in sponsored posts or paid advertisements. Videos and photos are the dominant features on FB and have generated a considerable rate of engagement.

3. Know your voice

Your social media pages are an extension of your brand. Maintaining a consistent voice helps your brand be recognizable among competitors and stay true to its values. If your brand hasn’t defined its voice, it’s time to lay out some guidelines for your team.

Consider why your brand exists, what it values, how you want to describe your brand, and how you want customers to react when interacting with your brand. For example, if your target audience is younger, use language that resonates with them. Using language familiar to an older generation only serves to alienate your younger audience.

4. Know your competition

Take it from Sun Tzu’s Art of War: there is no greater danger than underestimating your enemy. Aside from your own campaigns, you must also know who your competition is, where they are and what they are doing, etc.

Studying your competition helps you identify gaps in your own strategy and might also give great inspiration for your social media activities. You should also monitor conversations that are relevant to your industry.

5. Know the importance of responding

This is one of the most often ignored social media best practices. Because when you don’t, it says you are lazy or unreliable. Customers have high expectations for a quick response: half of social media users expect a brand to respond within 3 hours. Brands who fail to do this risk losing customers.

Not surprisingly, over 40% of customers who reach out to brands on social media are more likely to buy and encourage their friends and families to buy from companies who provide them with a timely response.