Three Ways To Supercharge Your Social Media

If you're reading this it's fair to assume you're trying to build your social media presence. Basically, there's an agenda. Maybe it's to sell a product, or maybe it's to network or build your brand. Whichever, you want to get the most out of your chosen platforms. The best way is to know what you're using and how to approach it.

I'm going to focus on Twitter and Facebook today because these are the two most widely used and abused social platforms. These points apply when trying to build or create a social media presence, because unlike celebrities or famous brands, people aren't going to connect with us simply because we exist.  

These are my tips for supercharging your social media

1. Know what you want and where to get it

Think of Facebook as going to the mall with friends. You're with people you know, and you're there to hang out with them. Sure you might see strangers walk past but you don't really take notice unless there is a good reason why you should. In the mall there are heaps of stores. Some of them boom advertisements with their microphone that you have no choice but to hear. Sometimes a friend nudges you and says "Hey look what I just brought from that store—isn't it cute?", and sometimes you'll shop together.

Facebook following is reciprocal, which means that strangers aren't going to connect with you unless you approve, and friending people you have no connection to will land you in Facebook jail. So if you're looking to connect with a whole heap of new people fast, Twitter might be more your style.  

Twitter is more like a massive street party. People are there to hang out. There are some stores along the street but that is not why people have come to the party. At the street party, people you don't know will come up and talk to you. Sometimes it will be great and you'll hit it off. Sometimes someone has more interest in you than you do in them, and vice versa.  

Twitter following in not reciprocal, and it's easy to follow and make friends with people you would never normally meet. So for networking Twitter is AWESOME. For those of you with something to sell, Facebook has something Twitter doesn't—Business/Professional Pages.

Think about being at that street party and suddenly someone stands up and starts shouting, "BUY MY BOOK—HEY YOU BUY MY BOOK NOW!!" You could almost guarantee a wide circle would start forming around that person. Professional pages on Facebook are like getting a stand at the mall. People expect you to be selling something, so doing so is fine. It should still be engaging, but generally people will like a page because they are interested in a product.

Facebook also gives you a chance to use a microphone to amplify your message in the form of paid advertisements. Sure Twitter has Twitter promotion but Facebook advertisement is by far a more accessible option.

So consider what you are trying to achieve and where is the best place to do that before you end up setting up a Twitter account that ineffectively booms advertisements at the party, or before you start a Facebook account that gets banned for harassing strangers.

2. Connect

If you want to build any social media you need to connect. This means taking an interest in other people, actually fanning other Facebook pages and interacting with them, actually following people on Twitter and commenting on their tweets, remembering to acknowledge when someone interacts with you, and most importantly this means being a human being—not madam spambot. Automated messages, tweets, mass facebook messaging all strip away your humanity and turn you into a spam bot. Don't be one.

Tweet, or post status updates that are meaningful and connect with people. Talk about your life and your interests, rather than re-tweeting, re-posting the same advertisement fifteen times a day. Basically, offer something to the people bothering to follow you.

3. Advertise
Advertise you say? Okay, I'm not specifically talking about the paid advertising I mentioned. I'm talking about making yourself easier to find. I'm talking about putting your social media details in your email and forum signatures, listing yourself in professional directories, adding your social media contact details to your website, putting your other social media account details across all your social media profiles. I'm talking about helping your connections reach across as all your platforms and aiding new connections to find you.

Let us know your social media tips.

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