Social media plays a significant role in today’s world, and when it comes to business, it should be a part of marketing efforts as well. According to Hootsuite, as of April 2018, there were 3.196 billion people using social media, which is up 13% from last year. On average, 11 people start using social media every second, which is approximately 1 million new users per day. Nowadays, if a company does not have a social media strategy, it can easily fall by the wayside. However, simply being on social media is not enough for a successful marketing strategy. Keep reading to learn 7 strategies to spice up your social media.

Social media is about connecting your business with its current customers and potential clients. How can you grab consumers’ attention and encourage them to try products or services? Today we explore how to spice up social media with seven strategies.

1. Identify your brand.

When using social media for business, remember that everything shared on social media should go through the “brand test.” Does it align with intended messaging? Does it use your voice? If you try to spice up social media without first knowing the brand, chances are things will end up a little messy, which creates a confusing experience for followers. For example, check out Starbuck’s Instagram profile. Almost every post they share incorporates a picture of one of their famous drinks. They also use similar colors and style throughout each photo. And, if you scroll far enough, you can even see how their colors and images change with each season, while still maintaining the same Starbucks brand we know and love. For ideas on how to begin identifying your social media branding, reach out to our creative team to learn how to create a brand style guide.

2. Use hashtags.

Hashtags connect various accounts and posts across the platform through a shared topic. For instance, if a user posts a picture with a dog, he or she might #puppy. Other users can then click on this hashtag and see more pictures of puppies. When it comes to gaining new followers, hashtags are the perfect way to get content out there and snag users’ attention. Make sure to research hashtags before using them. See which hashtags are the most popular and consider how to incorporate them into posts. Or, get creative and invent your own which relate to the products or services you sell. Include 2–3 hashtags per post, but remember to keep them simple and on brand. For instance, a print company might post #print, #sign and #creative to gain more exposure on their posts.

3. Get involved with video.

Video content is quickly becoming the top–consumed content across the Internet. Facebook users alone watch more than 100 million hours of video every single day. That’s a lot of video. One Hootsuite study even found the average Facebook engagement rate for video posts is 5.23%, compared to photos at 4.4% or page links at 3.9%. Make sure the business is engaging with followers and potential customers by producing valuable, noteworthy video content. While there was once a time when social media videos had to be perfectly polished, professional and produced, it has long past. Nowadays, consumers engage with the brands who share both posed and candid videos, showing both the professional and fun sides of the brand. For instance, check out this example of a professional video created by your very own Firespring, compared to one of our more candid, behind-the-scenes videos. Who knows? You could even try producing a live video or two for real-time customer engagement.

4. Utilize memes and GIFs.

If you want to show the fun-loving side of the company and get tons of social media engagement, don’t be afraid to get creative by utilizing memes and GIFs. These creative and humorous images work extremely well on visually-driven platforms like social media by capturing consumers’ attention, making them giggle and giving them a reason to engage with the business. For a great example, check out this meme reference Jimmy John’s used in one of their tweets.

Learn more about how to merge memes and GIFs into marketing efforts or make your own by utilizing online tools.

5. Give a behind-the-scenes look.

One interesting and engaging way to spice up your social media skills is by giving followers a behind-the-scenes look of what goes on at the office. Interview an employee, show a “day in the life” at the office or ask a customer to share his or her story of working with the company. For example, take a look at one of our videos following Haylee around for the day. By using social media to provide a behind-the-scenes look of the company, you connect with followers on a more personal level and make them feel like they can truly trust the business, its employees and its services.

6. Recycle content.

Spicing up your social media doesn’t mean everything shared has to be completely new. If you notice a specific post or message gets significantly positive feedback, don’t be afraid to reuse and recycle it. Whether it’s organic or paid, used on a different social platform or even been shared through a separate medium—such as email marketing—doesn’t matter. See how you can reshape or rework to fit in a new post which can better connect with followers. If you haven’t posted recently or recent posts have lacked engagement, try recycling old and successful content to help boost your social media presence.

7. Engage with followers.

Finally, the most critical component of a successful social media marketing strategy: engagement. Followers are there for a reason: they want to support the business, even if it’s just through a screen. Encourage them to try out a product or service by engaging with them on the social networking platform. This could mean replying to followers’ comments, sharing their photos on the company’s own account or hosting competitions through social media to get consumers excited about the products. By consistently engaging with followers on social media, you tell them the business really does care about them, and you want to support them in their search for a product or service solution. This helps with customer retention as well.

Let’s be real: social media is not going anywhere anytime soon. Your company should incorporate an active and engaging social media presence into its marketing. Use these seven strategies to spice up your social media and see how you impact the bottom line.