Influencers are content creators. Beyond their blogs or websites, they also create content across multiple social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. Creating for multiple social channels helps influencers build a larger following, which can attract brands looking for individuals to sponsor their products.
Promoting sponsored content on social media is one of the best ways to improve program performance, but without a sizeable and active following, all of that promotion could be fall on deaf ears. We’ve compiled some best practices from top Linqia influencers to guide you in cross-channel social promotion.
Facebook is the most widely used social platform in the world, with 1.7 billion users and counting, so improving your posting strategy is a solid method for securing new audience members and engaging your current fan base.
Don’t have a sparse Facebook page. List your contact information, describe your website, and include links to your social channels. “People use Facebook as the new Yellow Pages and they expect to easily find information vital to your business as an influencer,” says Crystal and Comp. “Otherwise they could get frustrated and not bother liking your page or clicking through to your website.”
Do take advantage of Facebook Analytics. Set aside time every month to review your page’s analytics and note the most engaged posts. “One of my favorite analytics is the post insights,” says Housewife Eclectic. “It allows you to see a list of all your posts with the reach and engagement front and center.” Understanding which type of posts your audience engages with most helps form a posting strategy that delivers interesting content.
Don’t auto-post your latest blog post to your Facebook fan page. “It sends a signal that the influencer is too busy to engage with their readership,” Housewife Eclectic warns. “It also says the blogger doesn’t care enough to personalize the message to the Facebook audience.” Plus, posting the content yourself gives you the opportunity to customize the message and insert a call to action. “I used to be a journalist and one of the greatest tools was the hook – a line that would grab the reader’s attention and draw them in,” she continues. “Write your posts with a hook and let the link be right there to satisfy the reader’s now-intrigued curiosity.”
Do auto-post your Instagram updates to your Facebook wall. Linking your Instagram allows your Facebook friends to quickly find and follow you on Instagram. “After posting Instagram pictures on my website’s Facebook page, I saw a huge jump in interaction from my Facebook followers to my Instagram followers,” says It Starts with Coffee. “I also saw a ton of interaction on my website Facebook page.”
Twitter is one of the most popular social media channels across all niches of influencers, making it an important conduit for attracting new audience members. A lively Twitter following helps spread your content to untapped users and recruit new followers to your audience.
Do promote your posts more than once. The timeline of tweets moves so quickly that your followers don’t see every tweet. In order to effectively reach your audience, you’ll need to promote content more than once. “For every non-sponsored blog story that you post, plan on promoting that post at least 6 times over the next two months,” advises Kori At Home. Sponsored content should be posted with a much higher frequency.
Don’t forget to examine your Twitter Analytics. The analytics section can help you identify patterns of engagement so you know which tweets and messages are resonating with your audience. “I check the analytics on Twitter and Buffer to see what tweets are performing best so I can promote those more,” says Kori At Home.
Do interact with your followers. Ask questions and respond to their tweets. Asking questions that your content answers positions you as an expert and demonstrates the value of your content. “Use Twitter to ignite curiosity and then point users to a detailed article on your site,” says Jen’s Blah Blah Blog. “Most of the time, the users also browse other parts of your website.”
Don’t be shy about following back. Following back shows that you are interested in your fans and want to learn more about them. “Follow back everyone that follows [you], with some exceptions,” advises Smart Savvy Living. “I don’t follow accounts without avatar images, these are typically accounts for those not seeking interaction and just want to enter giveaways or spam.”
Pinterest generates the most purchases for brands of any social channel, so a strong, active following can help secure more brand partnerships and improve your performance in sponsored programs. Additionally, many content creators, especially food and fashion influencers, find that much of their referral traffic comes from Pinterest. The platform can be a boon for interesting new audiences in your content.
Don’t leave your images unattributed. “Use photo editing software to add the [post] title and your blog name to the picture,” says A Virtuous Woman. If the image gets repinned or shared without attribution, interested users easily identify who originally created the content and search for your website by name.
Do make your pin titles lengthy and descriptive. “Studies have shown that images with a longer description get repinned more often,” A Virtuous Woman continues. “A good, long description in the title of your image to makes it easy for your readers to know what your pin represents, making them more likely to pin it.”
Don’t forget to include hashtags. Hashtags, especially program-specific hashtags if it is a sponsored pin, raise the visibility of your pins. “It’s great to use hashtags, but not too many. I try to use one or two,” says Logan Can.
Do start a group board within your niche. A group board means other users can pin to the board. “Invite your tribe to join,” recommends 3 Boys and a Dog.”But don’t randomly invite people to it; only invite people that pin the same things.” This ensures that the group board members will be passionate about your content and share it with their own audiences.
Don’t forget to monitor sources. Sources are Pinterest users who source images directly from your website, and Pinterest tracks this for you and displays all of the pins taken from your website. “I check my source every day and do something,” says 3 Boys and a Dog. “Either repinning, commenting, or following people that are pinning my content.” You can find your source by going to http://pinterest.com/source/YOURWEBNAMEHERE.com.
Instagram is one of the fastest growing social networks, with 300 million people using the app every day. Brands have taken notice, earning 1.48 billion this year in Instagram advertising, including influencer marketing efforts. Get in on the action by increasing your Instagram following and engagement.
Do experiment with flat-lay images. Flat-lay images are incredibly popular among many content niches, like fashion, food, travel, and active living. The Southern Thing recommends laying your items on a solid background, like white foam board or patterned contact paper. She also suggests using indirect natural light to capture the best images. “If natural light is not an option, I recommend you use a light box kit to avoid dark or yellow toned photos from poor lighting conditions,” she says.
Don’t be afraid to go hashtag crazy (just not in the caption).“Create a list of relevant hashtags and keep them in your notes app on your phone,” says Carla Bethany. “Then copy and paste them as the first comment under your photo immediately after posting.” Including relevant hashtags will boost your content’s visibility, since most Instagram users discover new content by searching hashtags.
Regardless of which social channel you’re posting to or attempting to increase following or engagement, remember that you must always disclose that the content is sponsored to align with FTC rules. Make sure you include the words “ad” or “sponsored” or the #ad or #sponsored hashtags Following these tips can lead to a jump in post interactions from your current audience and an influx of new followers across your social channels. For more methods of optimizing social media for more follower engagement, visit the Linqia Knowledge Base.
