Social media can be an extremely effective way of expressing your message, or advertising your brand…but for many, it is an endless time sink where the rewards seems to diminish with each passing day. Here is how to avoid disappointment and make sure you are reaching your online potential.

Facebook

Video content, whether live or recorded, I a great way to grab the attention of the casual browser. When people see moving images, they generally pause to see what is happening, thus gaining you at least a few vital seconds of exposure. Try to create episodic content that will hook those already subscribed into a regular timeslot, or specific day of the week.

Using Messenger can be a great way to advertise products, services and events to those already invested in what you are offering, but, be careful not to abuse this or you will find people will simply start blocking your messages.

Facebook groups can be a great place to stimulate conversation about a topic related to your business. By creating a fan page, or related page, you can create a more open atmosphere with your followers and make your relationship more personal.

YouTube

When you create a YouTube channel, it is important that you remain authentic, as viewers will quickly catch on when someone is being less than genuine, and the results are rarely pretty.

Try to start each video with a hook, be it a catchphrase, theme song, or simply an energetic greeting. Often, these first few seconds will decide if someone wants to watch more of your video, or move on to another, more interesting YouTuber.

Create links with fellow YouTubers with similar content. This will allow you to share your growing fanbase, collaborate and ultimately learn new tips and tricks by exchanging knowledge on what has worked and what has bombed.

Instagram

Instagram is now the third biggest social media platform, having just recently smashed through the 1 billion monthly users mark.

For those looking to maximise the effectiveness of their content, then is imperative to know that a good advertisement, that reaches 100k people, will be far more effective than poor quality work that receives more views. Also, regular posting is the best way to keep ahead of Instagram’s algorithms, ensuring you are always one step ahead.