Startup Guides > 13 Marketing Tips When Using Social Networks for Business

Social media can be a digital marketing slippery slope, because stretching yourself too thin can result in disengaged users, and failing to engage users on the right platforms will only amount to yet another lost marketing opportunity.

You can save time by using social media marketing automation sites like 40Billion, which specializes in broadcasting promoted posts to its large network of several million users across the most popular social networking sites for small businesses - including Twitter, LinkedIn, 40Billion, and even Facebook. These types of services were created to make online marketing easier and more affordable for entrepreneurs and marketers who want to tap into a growing, active social network online.

Here are 13 best practice tips when using popular social networking sites...


FACEBOOK

Facebook is by far the biggest and most popular social networking platform, and it has the most evenly-distributed demographics of any social platform.

What business should be on it? All of them. Facebook is a must-have for any business doing online marketing.

4 Best Facebook Posting Practices

1. Full sized images: Full sized images (directly uploaded to an update) are some of the most shared content.

2. Short text on Facebook: Updates with a character count of 250 or less tend to have more engagement than longer updates.

3. Quotes: Quotes that inspire or are thought-provoking are hugely popular on the site. They get shared, liked and commented on a lot.

4. Questions: Questions ask for a response and increase engagement rates (which increases your organic reach). Use short questions about lifestyle likes and dislikes.

TWITTER

Twitter reaches pretty much every demographic and is global - most Twitter users are outside of the United States.

What business should be on it? Most businesses should have a presence on Twitter. People often use the platform to get in touch with companies.

4 Best Twitter Posting Practices

1. Short Tweets: Tweets have to be 280 characters or less. The shorter you can make your tweet, the better. Make your tweets in the 200-220 characters range so it's easy to retweet (with @mentions and modifications) and add hashtags.

2. Twitter Hashtags: Hashtags (those # signs you see everywhere) can spread your reach to your demographic. Use hashtags that are frequently used by your followers, that relate to your business industry, that are trending or are campaign specific.

3. Retweets and @mentions: Connect with your customers on Twitter by @mentioning them. You can send a message directly to them to personally connect with consumers and influencers, kind of like a public text. Engage your followers by retweeting their tweets.

4. Bio with campaign links: When you use Twitter, your bio can show up on other sites. If you're running an online promotion, include the link to your website landing page, so it spreads your marketing reach.

LINKEDIN

LinkedIn is the world's professional network. It reaches over 200 nations and is now owned by Microsoft.

What business should be on it? Professionals and B2B companies.

5 Best LinkedIn Posting Practices

1. Brand profile: Create a branded company profile. Additionally, make sure your social marketing manager, content marketers and sales teams have solid profiles too - they're likely the ones who will be using the platform.

2. LinkedIn groups: LinkedIn has millions of groups, and most account holders use them. There's a group for just about anything related to careers and business. Find and join active ones that your target demographic engages on. Share content and engage.

3. Connections: LinkedIn's kind of like a modern day Rolodex. Build your connections and use the platform for partnerships and leads. You can send LinkedIn emails to any or all of your contacts.

4. Updates: Post links to company updates, your blog and relevant articles from influential websites. Update 2-3 times a week to keep your company brand relevant.

5. Long-form posts: You can now publish whole articles on LinkedIn. It's a great way to get your message seen by and engaged with a larger network.


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