5 Social Media Marketing Tips for Maine Businesses
Social media may be crucial to any business today, but it often remains last on the priority list for traditional Maine businesses.
So how do all these wary Mainers get started?
A recent forum hosted by the Maine Business Expo sought to answer this question.
During the panel, our CEO, Haj Carr, huddled with three other social influencers and business development professionals—Tim Cotton, the Facebook famous lieutenant of the Bangor Police Department; Kyle Poissonnier, founder of Catalyst for Change Wear; and Carl Natale, the web editor of Sun Journal. They developed the following tips.
1. Be authentic
This is our mantra to clients. Not only is it easier to be yourself, it’s also more appealing to your followers. People will follow you because they appreciate what you’re doing, so just be you! And to paraphrase Haj’s comment during the live forum—people can smell you when you’re fake.
2. Show your flaws
This ties up any loose thoughts you may have had after reading the previous tip. Pretending to be perfect won’t fly with your followings, whether its over-editing your photos, filming 100 video takes because your dog barked, or making your business seem too good to be true.
Kyle gave a great example of how he posted a photo of a box of inventory he dropped … and broke. His followers responded with open arms because they could feel his pain! The post also showed a humorous glimpse into the real goings-on of a business owner.
3. Share often
You don’t have all day to focus on social, but setting aside a time each day to post is crucial to keeping your page active. Tim of the Bangor Police Department posts each morning before work. Kyle makes it a habit throughout his day. Carl is web editor for news media, so his connection to social is a little more robust than most, and Haj defers to Trueline’s marketing team.
4. Interact with your audience
Sharing content is great but engaging with those who show you love is extremely important for keeping your audience in tune. If someone comments on your post, “Like” it and respond if necessary. Social is a conversation, and when you take on role of communicator rather than content publisher, you’ll see an uptick in your engagement!
Social Media is a conversation, and when you take on role of communicator rather than content publisher, you’ll see an uptick in your engagement!
5. Don’t think about it too much
Worrying if your post is worded correctly or if sound cool enough can slow you down. Social is meant to be just that—social. So, share your thoughts in the moment, say what you would normally say to a friend. Be yourself!
If you’re struggling to take the leap, our team can help. From designing graphics to creating and updating your profiles to managing your posts, we have the expertise to get your social media efforts off the ground. Contact us today at hello@wearetrueline.com.
