Today I want to talk about something I haven’t talked about before: growth hacking, or specifically hacking your social media growth. Growth hacking is basically how to quickly create a robust social presence on a newly launched effort in a short amount of time. I’ve had a few companies reach out to me for advice on this subject, and I was recently asked what my first steps to start building a big presence would be. The ten tips I’m talking about today are great not only for social media newbies, but also for folks who maybe need to take a step back and make sure they haven’t missed these important steps.
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In This Episode:
- 1. Create a social media strategy that defines the objectives that you want to use social media for: you should be using social media mainly to help you achieve your business objectives. This is the beginning of hacking your social media growth.
- 2. Determine who your target audience is for your social media presence and what platforms they use: Not everyone uses social media equally – there are some people who have a profile on Facebook but spend most of their time on Linkedin – so you have to figure out where your people are. Then you have to have a strategy for each of those platforms.
- 3. Determine what your primary content you’ll be creating to share: You need to have a content strategy and decide what mediums you’re going to use. It comes down to the way you think you can cut through the noise to be seen or heard. You also need to figure out what hashtags you’re going to use to best share and spread your content.
- 4. Prepare an editorial calendar and have enough original content to last you at last a month: You can’t make as much of a splash on social media without original content, and it’s important to plan ahead.
- 5. Create a branded presence on the selected social networks: This means both visually and verbally!
- 6. Publish a week’s worth of content: Before you go out and start engaging with others, have a branded, active profile. You want someone who goes to your profile to be able to tell who you are and what you’re about.
- 7. Start to engage with other targeted users on the selected social networks using a combination of following/follow back, sharing their content, and commenting on their posts.
- 8. Engage on a daily basis, and make sure to engage in return when people engage with you.
- 9. Try doing a sprint where you focus on one aspect of your social media where you experiment, get data, and tweak your strategy.
- 10. Tweak your content: look at what has been successful and try to create more of that content.
- Don’t be afraid to try paid social – it can help foster and accelerate organic engagement
Resources & Links:
- Read about ten types of must have social media tools.
- Haven’t read Maximize Your Social yet? Now’s the time.
- Listen to last week’s episode about creating processes for your social media program.
- Learn the 11 must-have content curation best practices.
- Read my 9 step process to boost engagement on your Facebook page.
Check Out All of My Podcasts!
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Planner Freak (@ThePlannerFreak) says
Hey Neal, just want to say I just finished listening to podcast #127 on 10 tips for social media . I really enjoyed the episode especially how carefully you went thru each tip. Keep up the good work.
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks for the comment – much appreciated!!!
Organizein-Losangeles says
You blog is very cool, I haven’t tried these things to solve my problems. You have shared some very good info here. I found these tips very interesting and will surely try them and refer them to my friends.
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks!
Ben Parker says
Hi Neal ,
thanks a lot for sharing a such good post which is informative and useful as well, i got some new idea from here now am going to apply these thanks a lot once again.
Neal Schaffer says
Glad you like it Ben – thanks for the comment!
ramyasri24 says
Your Website blog theme and font style is good..Nice article
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks for the compliment!
Tim Brown says
Nice, I appreciate the good info. Ain’t nothing wrong with a little growth-hacking
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks – growth hacking is good, isn’t it? 😉
Saurabh Pandey says
Nice blog! it is very useful for me and I think all users.I appreciate u thanks for post.
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks for your kind comment!
Anja Skrba (@AnjaSkrba) says
I like how you advised publishing a week’s worth of content! And you’re totally right – it’s important for whoever goes to your profile to be able to tell who you are and what you’re about!
This was a good episode Neal, I really liked it!
Kind regards!
Neal Schaffer says
Thank you so much Anja – and so sorry for not podcasting lately! I need to get back on it!!!
Merrick says
Nice, I appreciate the work you have done. Ain’t nothing wrong with a little growth-hacking.
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks Merrick! This is a preview to the new Social Media Growth Hacking speech I’ll be presenting at Social Media Marketing World 2017 – can’t wait!
The Contractor says
I love this. listening to content beats reading all day. It sticks better too.
Thanks for the tips; I wrote a couple to work on.
Cheers!
-Nate
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks Nate!
Thomas Paul says
Very detail and easy to follow. I found your 10 tips of hack social media very interesting. I will use it for my marketing campaign. Thanks for sharing.
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks Thomas!
Latlon Technologies says
Great blog, mush useful. Thanks for sharing.
Neal Schaffer says
Thanks man!