When Facebook first waltzed into our lives, it took us by the very armrests of our chairs, swirled us around and just revolutionized the way we communicated, networked or stayed updated. Needless to say, it sneaked its way into our business too, and the next thing we know, social media has become the need of the day.
However, Facebook has now become so last year, to say the least. And let’s face it, it’s just too much work. Cutting through all that excessive clutter and crowd, to stand out in the most mainstream and done-to-death networks is not only taxing, but slightly redundant too. It’s time to get creative, minimalistic, quick and amazingly fun. And this is exactly where Twitter, Instagram and Vine come to your rescue. Here are our reasons as to why these three sites are the place to be.
- Less content, more quality
Twitter lets you speak out in nothing more than 140 characters (punctuation and spaces, inclusive), Vine (also from Twitter) lets you create and post videos that are not longer than six seconds, and Instagram helps lets you upload pictures and videos, not long posts. These sites invariably imply higher control on the amount of content you’re posting online. Moreover, when there are higher restrictions on quantity, you are forced to focus on the quality. This in turn helps you keep pushing your creative limits and continue to set higher quality standards, which in turn creates an awesome user experience and makes your audience keep coming back for more.
- You have hashtags
Call it the wonders of cross-platform social media, hashtags are no longer endemic to Twitter; it has moved to Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest and LinkedIn too. And of course, you can use them on Vine and Instagram as well. The beauty of hashtags is that it if you use it correctly it works wonders to attract audience, so you don’t even have to do anything path-breaking or dramatic. Just use a hashtag that’s relatable and in sync with pop culture and you’ve earned yourself a potential loyalist.
- You get to tap into the most relevant users
It’s like a superpower that Twitter and Vine have. As a business Twitter and Vine not only allow you to explore that highly profitable segment of the market that is most relevant to your brand, but also let you have conversations without looking too awkward or intrusive. Vinebox.co lets you check out the top 100 ‘Viners’, whereas Twitter and Instagram let you discover by hashtags and trends.
- Engage
Who doesn’t love a contest? Twitter is overflowing with contests that engage almost everyone on the platform. You can use this opportunity to get your followers to endorse your products or brand. And when they do engage, discuss or participate, always acknowledge them. Never forget to reply, follow back or just hit favorite. This works wonders for your brand recall value. Don’t just post; ask questions, seek opinions, and endorse ideas.
- You get to have fun
There’s a higher success rate for a campaign if those who have worked on it have actually enjoyed every minute of it. Social media is supposed to be fun anyway, so don’t make it drab and uninspiring for you and your audience. Make hilarious little video clips, spoof something famous, take up a cause, showcase your work culture and some behind the scenes, and post something beautiful; well anything that makes people want to be associated with you.
These sites actually prove that there’s a lot more to the internet that cat videos and rage comics. Make the idea of ‘More is Less’ your greatest asset and your business is never going to see failure.
Author Bio: Nancy Baker, the author of this article, is a freelance blogger who is currently writing for Webfirm, leading providers of online marketing and e-commerce services. She is an avid reader and loves playing the violin. You can also follow her on Twitter @Nancy Baker.
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