Sarah Morgan
(What’s APADIA? See here.)
I just conducted a batch of social media analysis, and these are my results.
The purpose? To adjust when and how I use each platform, both for myself and for a client. (I don’t do this for any other client anymore, but I like keeping my hand in, because it keeps my head in the game in a very practical way.)
I’ll share with you my results. This kind of analysis is something for which clients normally pay top dollar. But they do that because, done correctly, it’s extremely personal. I hope you can learn from what I’m doing, but I’m not worried about you copying my work, because these aren’t the right answers for you.
These focus points are not only based on my industry research into the latest information, but also on very specific factors. They include the longitudinal results of my work to date, the specific audiences I’m trying to reach, what I’m working with in terms of resources, and my particular short-term and long-term goals right now. Even if you’re similar, while these focus points might not be disastrous for you to follow, for best results, yours would be different.
Me
- Twitter:
- Weekdays, particularly Mondays
- Noon, 3, and 5 pm
- Two hashtags
- LinkedIn:
- Midweek (T,W,T)
- 8, 12 and 5 (commute and lunch hour)
Client
- Facebook:
- Saturdays and Sundays, or Thursdays and Fridays
- 3 pm
- Videos (~60 seconds)
- No hashtags
- Instagram:
- Thursdays and weekends
- 8 pm
- Videos (~30 seconds) and carousels
- Geotagging
- Relevant, non-ironic hashtags (I keep a list which I adjust periodically against popularity data)
How to choose what to focus on
I focus on Twitter and LinkedIn for myself because they’re the most professionally focused networks. I choose to keep my Instagram private, and I keep personal Facebook use light. I do sometimes post my work to Facebook, but that’s mostly just to help my friends and family have a clue what I do for a living. I use Pinterest for personal clippings but not for social promotion. And I don’t use Google+ because, well, who does.
I focus on Facebook and Instagram for my client because that’s where their audience is, based on our demographics, psychographics and geography. Instagram gets cross-posted to Twitter, because it’s low effort, but we have low engagement there. I don’t use Snapchat because I haven’t been convinced, either by my own tests or by statistics, that it’s worth the effort; I’m of the opinion that Instagram Stories are more effective.
This also doesn’t mean those focus points are a list of precisely what I do, every day. They’re overall guidance. Because….
Above all
Yes, it’s really important to choose the right platforms.
Yes, tweaking the time and day is helpful.
Yes, using the right words and tools is good.
But what it really comes down to is authenticity and relevance.
Authenticity? Your posts should be in your voice, and if you’re forcing it, that’s going to show.
Relevance: Your posts need to hit your audience where they care most. If you have an audience that cares about artistry and pop culture, your posts should be beautiful and trend-setting.If you have an audience for whom community and performance are important, you should depict that in your posts.
The posts that do best for me are informative and let my voice show, because I’m a consultant – my literal purpose is educated opinion – and because I try to post about things I really care about.
How to do this for yourself
Like most other things, a social media analysis isn’t hard; it just requires work to do it right. I’m not only showing you what to do, but I’m even going to give you a list of references, because I think relevant social media is a gift, and irrelevant social media is a drag.
Don’t be a drag. Do the work.
References:
- https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-times-post-pin-tweet-social-media-infographic
- https://blogs.constantcontact.com/new-facebook-insights
- https://blog.bufferapp.com/a-scientific-guide-to-hashtags-which-ones-work-when-and-how-many
- https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-long-should-a-video-be-on-native-video-platforms
- http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/5-free-instagram-analytics-tools-for-marketers
- http://afterclass.classpass.com/an-instructors-guide-to-curating-instagram-content
- https://www.trendsmap.com
- https://ritetag.com
- https://analytics.twitter.com
- https://www.facebook.com/business/a/page/page-insights
