Top 10 tips #7 - Social Network like a Ninja

Most organizations are keen on having social networks links on their updated non profit website. Certainly, it's important to consider social networking and inbound marketing in your web redesign. But don’t just do it because all the cool kids are doing it.

Make sure you have an overall social media strategy in place, or at least an organized approach to the big four: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & YouTube. You would never put out an event or service that you had no intention of supporting. If you won’t be monitoring or engaging with potential customers on social networking sites, or don’t think you have the time to do that, hire someone that will, or wait till you have a strategy in place to promote your social media presence.

Best time of day:
According to various statistics, the peak time for Social Networking activities is 7am-10am. This doesn't mean that 4-7pm is bad, but as a rule, you may want to schedule your post to be delivered around that time frame. In any case, always meansure the effectiveness of your post, for your demographics, later in the day may be a better option. Just test, test & test.

Automation:
There are plenty of tools out there to help you automate the process. Ping.fm is great and can be linked to your content management software to push content anytime you add an event or post a bews article to your website. Another tool is HootSuite which is great to schedule post to all your social network from one single location. In any case, make your life easy with automation.

Likes & Comments:
It's really important to engage your audience in "liking", "re-tweeting" & "commenting" on your post. Most major search engines have now admitted that it does play a role in making your content relevant. Ever wondered why the local retail store or local restaurant will run a free iPad sweepstake to people that will "Like" their Facebook page? It's because the benefits will far exceed the cost of the iPad in Advertising. Engage your audience in liking & commenting on your social networking sites.

The big 4 social network explained:

• Facebook = Party/Fun
  This is a fun & lively space, keep it light, keep it fun. Make sure to mix both business & fun, be relatable. Beware of getting political or controversial here. Also, what happened in Vegas used to stay in Vegas...now what happens in Vegas, ends up on Facebook.
• LinkedIn = Networking event
  This is your online networking event, it's all business here, exchange of ideas, etc. Don't get wild & crazy here.
• Twitter = Watercooler conversation
  Sound bite & quick talk, it's light & fast. One way I describe Twitter is "this conversation is so 2 hours ago!!". Keep it light & stay engaged.
• YouTube = Open mic/Kareoke
  Nobody has time to seat through a 10 minutes presentation nowadays, keep it to 1-3 minute. Create a channel and embed videos directly on your site. A video testimonial is far more compelling than a written one. You'll believe the video but will question the written testimonial.