Social Media Boosts Business in the Millennium

I, like millions of others across the world, checked my Facebook news feed and collected bonus coins from the site'sSlotomaniagame I love before my coffee finished brewing this morning.That's nothing to be ashamed of, especially considering I am one among MILLIONS who did the same thing!

I turned on the morning national news and heard about President Trump's late night/early morning tweets.

Perhaps the video I shot of the kitten's shenanigans last night is worthy of posting on Instagram?

Social media is, admittedly, a millennial mania that has captured people's attention across the globe regardless of age, race, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or spiritual belief.It has touched each of us personally and prompted us to monitor our number offriends,fans, andfollowersand keep up with everything going on in their lives.

On a professional level, gone are the days of Yellow Pages in the backs of phone books, chock full of categorical commercial ads.Now we've got the internet and social media, making it even easier to go ISO (in search of) and find everything we need in a matter of moments.

Social media is an essential marketing tool for businesses, large and small.Think about it.Your family, friends and customer base alreadylikeandfollowyou on social media channels, so it stands to reason that posting relevant content theylike,commenton andshare, extends the post's reach exponentially, as it is seen by their families', friend's and follower's, families, friends and followers, and so on.

There's more to successful social media marketing than building an extensive fan base.Yes, that is very important, but being genuinely effective at social media marketing means you must have good content to share.

The algorithms and "feelers" used by Google and Facebook determine your posts' actual reach.Have you ever wondered how Google selects the order of information it presents when searching for a topic?It's all about algorithms, and I'm not one to ask about those!

What I've found is by posting good quality content, even if it is curated (something by someone else that is entertaining, educational, or both), that your friends, fans and followers will enjoy and act upon with alike,commentorshare, extends the reach of these posts.

What's more, since Facebook is King when it comes to social media, it truly pays to boost one of your most popular post's reach by putting a little money on the back end.The Facebook gods will share the post with a larger population of your community, allowing more people the opportunity tolikeyour page, which, in turn, builds your fan base!After all, Facebook is a business, and being their customer, they help you reach more potential customers.The better you do, the more you will use their site for marketing and advertising.

Furthermore, I always try to stay professional when posting for customers as well as when I post on my personal pages.I suggest you stay far away from political and religious posts unless that is your client's M.O.

Consistency is another essential element of social media marketing.I try to post at specific times on specific days each week.That's not always easy when you are posting 3-5x/week onFacebook, Google+,TwitterandInstagramfor multiple customers.What makes it easier is theBufferapp, because it allows me to write posts, add photos and videos and schedule the posts for whatever days and times I require!

Speaking of photos and videos, they are extremely important to social media marketing.Copy without a visual is much more likely to be ignored than content with a visual.Let's face it.We are a society that thrives on visual stimulation.Use good photos and capture fun or interesting videos to make your posts POP!

KallistoArtalso prefers I mention an app calledRiplto enhance and even animate photos directly on my Smartphone.This is a great tool to use for Instagram posts!Honestly, I have not used it much, because we have some really great photos from which to choose.However, I highly recommend the FREE version that can take an otherwise plain photo and make it something special!

Always remember to have fun when posting to social media.If it is not seen as a chore, generating posts is much easier.When I struggle to find an idea, I check area news, events, weather, sports, and anything that might spark an idea.I also look at theNational Day Calendarfor fun possibilities.

Social media marketing in the millennium is where it's at!Keep posting and having fun, friends!

– Debra Taylor Tee

Debra Taylor Tee is a Social Media Specialist with KallistoArt.Most of her days are spent brainstorming to create engaging social media content for clients in different verticals.During her downtime, she and her husband Mike love spending time with family and friends and attending concerts.The couple has three rescued dogs and a newly-saved kitten, and they are volunteers for a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter.

Team KallistoArt