2024 Social Media for Business Cheatsheet

You’ve got questions about social media, and I have answers. If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to increase your social media presence for your business, I have a slew of information and tips to get you started.

1. What social media does your business need to be on?

This is the big question, and you’ll probably be relieved to know that the answer isn’t all of them unless you want to be on all of them. Managing multiple social media campaigns for your business can take a lot of time, and so it’s important to choose the ones you want to use with care and consideration. Creating accounts for social networks you won’t use or will neglect will not provide you any benefits. Here are some questions to ask before you choose what networks to use.

Where does my target audience hang out?

This is the first and most important question you should ask yourself. Where does your audience hang out? You only need to be on social media if your target audience is also there, and not all social media is created equal. Many things influence who is using what social network, and there’s no hard and fast rules individually, but here is a general overview of the demographics of some of the most popular social networks.

Facebook:

• Age: Most popular with users aged 25-54, though usage is declining among younger generations.
• Gender: Slightly more male users (56%) than female (44%).

Instagram:

• Age: Dominant among individuals under 35, especially teens and young adults (69.1% globally).
• Gender: Nearly even split between men and women (51.7% male, 48.3% female).

YouTube:

• Age: Reaches widest audience between 15 and 35 years old, though popular across all age groups.
• Gender: Almost balanced gender distribution (51.4% female, 48.6% male).

Twitter:

• Age: Most popular with users aged 18-29 (37%), with significant presence in the 30-49 age group as well.
• Gender: Slightly more male users (58%) than female (42%).

LinkedIn:

• Age: Primarily used by professionals in their 30s and 40s.
• Gender: More male users (61%) than female (39%).

Snapchat:

• Age: Overwhelmingly popular among teenagers and young adults, with 71% of US users between 13 and 24 years old.
• Gender: Nearly balanced gender distribution.

Remember, these are just general trends. It’s important to consider specific demographics like location, interests, and income level when targeting an audience on any platform. It’s also important to note that demographics shift over time, so staying updated on current trends is important.

What does this mean for you?

Think about who your typical customer is. Is it men? Women? Is there an age range that you sell more to than any other range? That doesn’t mean you don’t have customers of all of these, but for most businesses, there’s a sweet spot where you get most of your business from. Use this information to decide where you want to spend your time when it comes to your social media business engagement.

A few examples:

• If you have a business where photos speak louder than words, being on Instagram is strongly recommended. Some industries that benefit from Instagram include hair salons, makeup artists, pet-related industries, contractors, event planners, and more.
• If your business caters to high schoolers or college students, skip Facebook and head to Instagram and Snapchat.
• If your audience is primarily made up of moms, then head straight to Facebook, and do not pass go. Facebook is by far the most popular social platform of moms.

2. How do you brand your social accounts?

Now that you’ve decided what platforms you want to use, it’s time to create your accounts, and I have some tips for you to help you get started.

• Use the same username across all networks. If you are going to be on multiple social networks, it’s important that you have a cohesive username. Check each one to see what’s available before you commit, otherwise you’ll wind up with different usernames on different networks.
• Use your business email address when you sign up, not your personal one. Keep your business accounts separate if at all possible.
• Use the same branded images on all platforms. Use the same logo, the same cover images, and the same colors on all accounts.
• Add the link to your website in every bio.
• Complete all the vital information areas as completely as possible. Some will have more areas to complete than others. Facebook business pages have loads of information for you to complete, such as bios, hours, website, phone, etc., whereas Twitter and Instagram have much less.

It is important to keep your information and imagery cohesive. Consistency not only reinforces brand identity but also enhances trust and recognition, making it easier for people to remember and identify your brand amid all the other brands online.

3. How often should you post?

Don’t hate me for this one, but it’s a lot more than you think and probably more than you already are. Here’s what the research shows about how frequently a business should be posting on their social media profiles.

• Facebook: 1-2 times a day
• LinkedIn: 1-2 times a day
• X (formerly Twitter): 2-3 times a day
• Instagram: 3-5 posts per week, and 2 stories a day
• TikTok: 3-5 videos a week
• Google Business Profile: 1 post a week
• Next Door: 1 post every two weeks
• Snapchat: 4-7 posts per day

Why these numbers? Because different platforms have different algorithms that determine which of your posts get seen. If you post one time a week on Facebook, I’m sorry to say that very few people are going to see that post. But by posting 1-2 times a day, you have a much bigger chance of having more of your followers engage with one of your posts.

Remember, not all of your audience will see all of your posts. When you think that you already posted today or you already posted this week, understand that the social media platforms are making sure that you aren’t getting seen that frequently. Why? Because they want you to buy advertising. That’s how they make money. So posting frequency is important if you want to make a bigger impact through social media.

4. What type of content should you post?

The content you post is going to be directly related to your industry, and different businesses are going to have different reasons and content to share on social media. There are several main types of content that businesses can share on social media:

• Content that educates and informs
• Content that entertains and engages
• Content that showcases products and services
• Content that builds community and relationships

Your business may benefit from one of all of these types of content. But let me provide a few examples.

Educates & Informs Examples

If you are in the fitness industry, as a trainer, gym owner, studio, etc, you can create new posts that showcase different exercises and how to do them, post videos on how to use different equipment. Other posts could include information on what muscle groups benefit from different exercises, or what are the best types of exercises for different athletes.

A bakery might upload short videos on how to frost cupcakes or decorate cookies.

A hair stylist could share hair tutorials, how different products benefit different types of hair, or update your audience on hairstyle trends.

Entertains and Engages Examples

A coffee shop might share funny memes or gifs about coffee, or photos of really cool coffee foam designs.

A book publisher or author might share a weekly trivia quiz.

An art supply store might offer a contest for the best creative artwork using their products.

Showcase Products and Services Examples

A clothing store could post photos of their newest items or latest trends.

Before and after pictures go a long way, particularly in the home remodeling and decorating arena.

Builds Community and Relationships Examples

Behind the scenes posts that humanize your business are always good for community building, showcasing your leaders or members participating in charity work or good deeds.

Still not sure what to post? Here’s a trick. Use ChatGPT or Bard to generate social media content ideas for you. Finding the right prompt can take some practice, but try something like: “Create 15 social media content ideas for a hair salon.” You’ll be surprised the number of good ideas you may get.

5. How does a business create engagement on social media?

It’s not all about just having people see what you post. Yes, that’s great, but getting folks to engage with it is even better and will directly influence how many people see your stuff too. So what are the tricks for getting engagement?

• Respond to comments and messages promptly. Show your audience you care about their thoughts and feedback.
• Ask questions and start discussions. Encourage your audience to share their opinions and experiences.
• Run contests and giveaways. Incentivize engagement and attract new followers.
• Host live Q&A sessions or AMAs (Ask Me Anythings). Give your audience a chance to directly interact with your brand.
• Use relevant hashtags to increase discoverability.
• Post at the right times when your audience is most active.
• Monitor analytics to track your progress and make adjustments as needed.
• Utilize social media features like polls, quizzes, and stories to add interactivity.

And a few more ideas

• Collaborate with influencers or other brands in your niche.
• Run social media campaigns with a clear call to action.
• Offer exclusive discounts or content to your social media followers.
• Create a community around your brand through groups or forums.

6. What time should you post on social media?

The ideal times to post on social media for businesses depend on several factors. Each platform has its own unique user base and activity patterns. Here’s a quick overview:

• Facebook: Generally, weekdays between 8 AM and 1 PM PST work well. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays tend to see higher engagement than Tuesdays and Fridays. Avoid Saturdays and early mornings.
• Instagram: Early mornings (9 AM PST) and evenings (6-9 PM PST) are good times. Tuesdays and Wednesdays can be particularly impactful.
• Twitter: Weekdays between 8 AM and 4 PM PST work well. Fridays see higher engagement than other days.
• LinkedIn: Weekdays between 9 AM and 1 PM PST are ideal. Mondays and Tuesdays are especially good.
• TikTok: 1 PM PST on Sundays, 6-9 PM PST, and 3-6 PM PST are good times. Avoid Mondays and Tuesdays.
• NextDoor: Weekdays between 5-7PM, weekend mornings between 9-11AM. Thursdays and Fridays tend to do slightly better.

Who are you trying to reach with your posts? Knowing their demographics and online habits can help you pinpoint the times they’re most likely to be active. You can also analyze the stats of your past posts to see which posts get the most engagement.

Additional tips:

• Experiment and track your results: The best way to find the ideal posting times for your business is to experiment and see what works best. Use social media analytics tools to track your engagement and adjust your schedule accordingly.
• Don’t rely solely on general recommendations: While the timings I mentioned above can be a good starting point, remember that they’re just averages. Your specific audience and content will always have the final say.
• Post consistently: It’s not just about when you post, but also how often. Aim to post regularly to keep your audience engaged.

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Is it worth it to hire a social media manager?

That depends, but often times yes. If you own a business and are busy running that business, you probably don’t have time to manage all this posting and engaging on your own. Finding a good fit to manage it can take some time. There are companies that offer this that get to know you and your brand. If managing social media is part of the job responsibilities of an employee, make sure that the requirements for this aspect of the job are clear.

Don’t make posting to social media an after-thought. You have to put in the time and effort into doing it right to get the benefits.