How to Maximize ROI on Every Social Media Platform
- by Alyson Shane
By now most businesses realize the importance of having and maintaining social media accounts. With close to 3.5 billion people using social media each month, itâs a way to connect with your customers, boost sales, and increase brand awareness.
If you own or manage a business, posting tweets and engaging with followers on multiple platforms likely isnât at the top of your to-do list. Itâs also not something you can pass off to just anyone.
The person crafting your messages sets the tone of your brand, curates content that will resonate with your followers, and works on a strategy to yield a positive ROI. â¨
Itâs not just playing on social media all day. Crafting your content takes time.
Here are some of the factors you need to consider for each platform and how much time they take.
Post image size: 1200 x 630 (ads, cover images, profile pictures, link images, event images are all different sizes).
Character count: The max character count is 63,206, but generally, you shouldnât be maxing that out. Keep your CTAs strong and put your important information first. The ideal length is 40-80 characters.
Hashtags: Use rarely on Facebook.
Strategic scheduling: Posts published between 1-4 pm have the best click-through and share rates on Facebook. This can vary, so make sure you measure the performance of your posts from Facebook Insights and schedule accordingly.
Tagging: With 1.69 billion Facebook users, itâs important to tag the correct people and companies.
Copywriting: Who are you speaking to? Do you have a strong CTA? Is there a link you can share in this post? Is your target market interested in this post? Is this shareable content? Whatâs in it for the reader to share this? Is this content timely?
Hashtags research: N/A
Image sourcing: Make sure the image you select reflects the content you are sharing. Itâs important to have permission to share the images you select, especially if you plan on branding them. Pexels, Unsplash, Canva, Pixabay, and others offer a selection of free images, but make sure they are free for commercial use before you share them.
Graphic creation: Use a tool like Canva or InDesign to add your logo, copy, and other graphic elements that draw attention to your viewer.
Pin the post: You want your most relevant marketing campaigns to stay at the top of your feed. Your pinned post will likely be one of the first things people see while visiting your Facebook page, so make sure itâs timely!
Other factors: Facebook generally suppresses business posts, so the best way to get your content seen is to have your followers share it on their pages.
Total time: ~ 45 minutesâ¨
Post image size: Landscape 1080x608 px, square 1080x1080px or portrait 1080x1350 px. (Instagram stories, Instagram Live, and IGTV are different sizes)
Character count: Max 2,2 00 characters. 138-150 characters is ideal for maximum engagement.
Hashtags: Max 30. The ideal number is 5-10. Too many hashtags can get your account shadow banned.
Strategic scheduling: The general best time to post is between 9 am-11 am, but the best time to post is based on your unique audience. An app like Buffer automatically calculates your best times to post.
Tagging: People and businesses are always looking for content to share. Do you have a pen from a local art store in your photo? What about flowers from your favourite florist? Tag whoever you mention in your post to maximize your chances of being shared on their pages.
Copywriting: Itâs a good idea to write both short and long posts. If you are writing a long caption, write a short, engaging summary of what you are posting about first, so your audience doesnât miss your key message. Make sure your post has value. Is your audience learning something? Will it make them emotional? Whatâs in it for them when they read this post?
Hashtags research: Did you know that posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement than posts without a hashtag? Hashtags work to organize your content and make it easier for people to find. There are community hashtags, branded hashtags, and campaign hashtags. Use these to find your niche audience, collect UGC, or promote your campaign. Look for tags that your audience, industry leaders and competitors are already using.
Image sourcing: Since Instagram is a visual platform, the photos you post are very important. Not only do you need to worry about each image, but you should also consider how your profile looks as a whole.
Do you have a colour scheme? What filters are you using?
Free image sourcing is a great option, but if you want to make sure your brand isnât being confused for other brands or you want specific quality, try buying images from Stocksy, Twenty20, or Social Squares. They provide quality content, and it still saves your business from costly photoshoots and time spent taking and editing photos.
Graphic creation: Since people are mainly using Instagram on their mobile devices, itâs important to use an image that will quickly draw attention and get your point across. Instagram is not the place for complicated infographics and small text.
Add to highlights: Itâs a great idea to share your new posts to your Instagram story and increase the chances of your content being seen. If your post is important enough to keep at the top of your page, add it to your highlights so your viewers can easily find it!
Other factors: Instagram is one of the only platforms that doesnât allow you to link to a webpage in your caption. Asking people to go to your link in bio and leave the app gives them more steps than people are generally willing to do. Make sure you have all of your important information on Instagram, and if needed, direct them to your link in bio for more information, but you better make sure itâs updated!
Total time: ~ 50 minutes
â¨Twitter
Image size: Min. 440 x 220 px
Character count: Max 280 characters.
Hashtags: Twitter recommends using no more than two hashtags per tweet for best practice.
Strategic scheduling: The best times to post for B2B are 7 am-8 am, 11 am, 6 pm, and 9 pm. Schedule around peak times, but make sure they are the best for your business. Find an app like Later that will analyze optimal times to post content.
Tagging: Giving an @ mention informs people or businesses you posted about them. Everyone loves to share positive content about themselves or their business. One RT can lead to many more!
Copywriting: Be concise! The ideal Twitter caption is 71-100 characters. Since Twitter moves fast, you only have a few seconds to grab your audienceâs attention.
Hashtags research: Give people a reason to use your hashtag. Are you running a contest? Can they participate in a larger conversation this way? Or use your hashtags to get your content discovered. Just use them sparingly!
Image sourcing: Twitter data says people are three times more likely to engage with Tweets that include visual content. Include video, images, and GIFs to your tweets.
Graphic creation: Make your visuals eye-catching, appealing, and informative while using your brand tone and voice. Use your logo to build brand recognition. Try using GIFs to add some humour to your posts.
Pin the post: If your pinned tweet is out of date it looks like you arenât active on Twitter, or you donât pay attention to detail. Update your pinned tweet as necessary.
Other factors: Twitter is big for sharing content. Look for opportunities to share content from your audience, affiliates, and industry leaders.
Total time: ~30 minutes
â¨LinkedIn
Image size: 1104 x 736 px
Character count: 700 characters (business accounts) 1300 (individual accounts)
Hashtags: LinkedIn recommends 3-5 hashtags per post.
Strategic scheduling: Working professionals and college grads make up the majority of LinkedIn users. The most successful posts on LinkedIn are posted between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday.
Tagging: LinkedIn is all about making connections and showcasing your abilities. If you can tag people in your posts, do it! Often they will want to share their involvement with your company on their own pages to show off to their network.
Copywriting: You have 140 characters before LinkedIn will cut off your copy with the âSee moreâ button. Make sure your first sentence in compelling. An interesting first sentence can get more eyes on your profile, and the rest of your content.
Hashtags research: Following hashtags on LinkedIn is a great way to find new content ideas and stay informed on whatâs going on in your industry. Go to âHashtags trending in your networkâ to find relevant hashtags â choose âMy Networkâ and then âSee allâ under the âHashtagâ section.
Image sourcing: Many LinkedIn statuses will revolve around less visual topics like leadership, motivation, success, so you have more freedom and creativity with choosing images. Pair your image with a strong caption and youâll be on your way to getting clicks and shares!
Graphic creation: Always stick to your brand guidelines with the same font, colours, and logo to create a cohesive, curated look.
Other factors: LinkedIn is the place to keep things professional. Make sure your profile is always up to date and offer plenty of opportunities for people to learn about your brand.
Total time: ~ 45 minutes
As you can see, hiring a social media manager is the best way to get your key messages across on each platform and maximize your ROI.
Social media platforms are constantly evolving their algorithms and interfaces. Marketers should be staying updated with the latest information. Starling Socialâs high-level approach to digital marketing allows you to focus on your customers with the reassurance of knowing your social media channels are running seamlessly. â¨
Your business needs a marketing plan that aligns with your growth goals. We develop strategies that help you create memorable, lasting connections with your customers and grow your business.
Get in touch if youâre looking for help with growing your business.
