Social media is a powerful tool for marketing. While other
marketing channels can require more resources to perfect, social media can be
your pathway to new audiences and a great way of connecting with customers that
already exist. If you haven’t invested in social media as a part of your
marketing strategy, this toolkit is exactly what you need to get started.
If you’re just getting started with social media, there’s one
thing you’ll definitely need – images. Images are the best way to develop your
brand and engage users. Get started with Shutterstock Bundles,
professionally curated packs of 25 images available in a wide variety of themes.
There are plenty of tools and best practices to help you with
your social media marketing strategy, which we’ve rounded up in this toolkit.
It gives you the basics of how to choose the right social media channels, how
to manage your accounts, and how to maximize your social content with strong
visuals.
Pick the Right Social Media Channels
There are tons of social media channels, and new ones popping up
every week. Each one has its own purpose and will benefit your business in
different ways. It might seem daunting to set up a profile and presence on
every single site; here’s a quick rundown of the most popular and useful
channels to help you select which ones are right for your business.
Facebook
The most popular site on this list, Facebook will allow businesses their most
robust web presence aside from their own website. You can fill out your company
profile, post updates, and images stream live video interact with customers,
and even take advantage of Facebook Messenger to have real-time conversations
with your audience.
Twitter
Twitter is all about the conversation. It’s not only where users go for breaking
news, but also for humor and entertainment. Think of it as an opportunity to
demonstrate your brand voice as there are more opportunities to react to and
get involved in the “larger conversation,” or whatever is going on on the
internet that day.
Instagram
Instagram is a visual wonderland. The platform is entirely based on images, so
it’s essential to have a well-developed brand identity in order to find
success. That means cohesive and consistent visuals that resonate with your
audience. It can be hard for brands to hit their stride on this platform, so
take advantage of hashtags, influencer opportunities, and paid ads to find your
foothold.
Pinterest
Another visual platform, Pinterest has the unique benefit of getting potential
customers directly to your site through “pinned” images. It’s an especially
useful platform for retail businesses, as product images are the most likely to
get pinned. Like Instagram, it requires a keen eye for visual branding to find
traction on this channel.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the top social site for professionals, meaning it’s a great place
for B2B networking. Instead of creating entertaining content as you might on
Twitter or Facebook, LinkedIn thrives on educational content. Think case
studies, white papers, testimonials – these types of posts will lend your brand
credibility and increase your reach on the site and in your industry.
Use a Social Media Management Tool
Once you’re running a few social media channels, it can become
difficult to manage them all directly through that channel’s platform. Can’t
remember if you uploaded a certain image on Facebook or Twitter? Want to post
something similar across all channels? Save yourself some hassle and start
using a social media manager.
These tools, which come in many paid and premium tiers, are not
only great for getting organized, but also for analyzing your progress on
different channels. Lots of these platforms have built-in analytics that shows
you the effectiveness of your social media content. As you grow your social
media strategy, analytics is key to making informed decisions about your brand
direction.
These are just a few popular options for social media management
tools. Each comes with tiered plans to fit every budget, but it’s worth doing
your research to find the tool that’s right for your needs and your available
funds.
- HootSuite – Probably the most widely used social media management tool, HootSuite has been adopted by businesses of all sizes. It lets you bulk schedule content across several channels, tracks your success, “listen” for different keywords, and run ads.
- Buffer – An intuitive and streamlined system, Buffer comes in a set of tiered plans. Schedule posts across accounts and add team members so that the whole team can collaborate on your business’s social strategy.
- Sprout – In addition to the regular content maintenance tools, Sprout also offers customer relationship management tools that give you a picture of your audience and help you engage in conversation with them. It’s also well-known for beautiful reports, so you can use data to adapt your social strategy.
Take Advantage of Visuals in Your Social Media Marketing
One thing every social media channel has in common is the positive effect of visuals. Including images on your posts will increase engagement and give your brand a boost. Focus on high-quality images that relate to your customers.
1. Use the Right Social Media Image Dimensions
Different social media platforms require specific dimensions
when uploading or sharing images. Here’s a cheat sheet to social media
image sizes:
Facebook
- Facebook Image: 1200 x 1200 pixels
- Facebook Link: 1200 x 627 pixels
- Facebook Cover: 1702 x 630 pixels
Twitter
- Twitter Post: 1024 x 512 pixels
- Twitter Header: 1500 x 500 pixels
Instagram
- Instagram Post: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Pinterest
- Pinterest Post: 736 x 1128 pixels
LinkedIn
- LinkedIn Post: 1200 x 627 pixels