Social Success Is More Than Just Luck

by Karen Fratti

​While March may be a lucky month for the Irish, social media pros know that digital success takes more skills than shamrocks to achieve. There are lots of little, everyday things that those at the top just do, almost instinctively.

Are you hitting all the marks to get that social pot o’gold? 

Don’t Go Overboard With Hashtags

​​You know it when you see it — sometimes posts to social platforms are going way overboard with hashtags. If you’re trying to hop on a breaking trend or news, sometimes one hashtag that Twitter or an event has deemed “official” can be enough. But you can add more. Just make sure they’re specific to your audience and your brand. They also shouldn’t be sentences or filled with slang that no one would type into a search box. 

Get Image Dimensions Right

Nothing is worse than an image you can’t focus on. Every social platform has different parameters for what works best. If you need a refresher, this infographic is worth sharing with everyone on your social team.

Use Emoji Wisely

Don’t be afraid of emoji. They're a great way to convey emotion without wasting characters. A lot of social analytics platforms are starting to add them to their algorithms, too, so they can help track audience sentiment just as much as other “emotional” keywords and slang. It’s best not to be too cryptic when you use them. If you have inside jokes with a personal friend via text, a greater audience might not get it. Stick to the more generic ones in your professional posts.

​Social media is about being savvy and you can’t leave it all to luck — though sometimes, as we all know, a social win can happen when you least expect it to. But you have to be working the system right to make it happen. Now go get a green milkshake or Guinness to celebrate — before they're all gone. And don’t forget to Instagram it.

IMAGE CREDIT: ANDY DOYLE