Recently, John Paul Aguiar and I had a chance to chat. This blogging and social media expert is so talented with helping other entrepreneurs that he was named as one of Forbes Magazine’s Top 50 Social Media Influencers back in 2013.
While he was here, John Paul gave my listeners some great social media tips.
The Top 3 Social Media Platforms – How to Use Them Successfully
The most important social media sites for most business owners are Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Here’s how to use them.
1. Twitter – John Paul’s Top Social Media Platform Choice
Twitter can be used with or without paying for ads. In fact, John Paul only recommends paying for ads when he really wants to boost a certain blog post. Even then, he’s only willing to pay up to $10 for the ads.
Some of John Paul’s Twitter tips:
- Use a tool like HootSuite or Buffer to save yourself a ton of time.
- Pick 10-20 hashtags that relate to your content and rotate them.
- Use images. The only reason some people click on a post is because of the picture.
2. Facebook – Use Groups as Well as Your Business Page
There isn’t much difference between how John Paul uses Twitter and Facebook, especially regarding buying ad space.
His Facebook tips:
- Join groups that have at least 5000 members. Make sure, though, that the people posting in the group are varied. A group may have thousands of members, but if the same five people are posting all the time, it’s really like only having a handful of engaged people.
- Make sure you engage with the groups regularly. If you only engage with them when you want to promote a blog post, people won’t pay attention to you. Engage with them more frequently and they’ll be more open to your promotions.
3. LinkedIn – Appealing to a Different Type of Audience
LinkedIn is great if you want to attract a professional audience. John Paul said that, over the past two years, his highest-paying clients have come from LinkedIn.
His LinkedIn tips:
- Join some groups and engage with them regularly. Let them know when you have a blog post that relates directly to their needs.
- If you have a really important post to share, post it on LinkedIn Publishing. You’ll get way more exposure this way. Because it takes extra time, this is something that John Paul only uses occasionally.
Know Who Your Target Audience Is and Where They Can Be Found
One of the best ways to figure out which platform is going to work best for your business is to know your target audience really well.
Once you figure out who your audience is, think about where that group of people might be found online.
From there, you will be able to tailor your social media posts to attract them and stay in-step with the best practices for that particular platform.
It will take some time and practice, but with a little bit of time and patience, you’ll start putting exceptional content in front of people who will hopefully soon become your clients.
Are you confused about blogging and social media posts? John Paul can help. Check out his website to get blogging resources and score a discounted consultation.
