Photo by Hookle

Shortcuts

1. Harness AI to create compelling social posts

2. Choose the right platforms for your brand

3. Plan your content strategy

4. Focus your effort where you find the most joy

5. Invest in training

6. Schedule your posts

7. Interact with your followers

8. Engage users with gorgeous stock images

9. Track and analyze key metrics

10. Allow yourself a pause when necessary

Every small business owner knows that engaging with social media is crucial for brand success. As well as helping you reach a broad audience, platforms such as Twitter and Facebook allow you to engage directly with followers and build a loyal fanbase. Whatever your sector, maintaining a social media marketing strategy will drive revenue and improve brand awareness.

However, staying on top of the latest social media trends can be time-consuming, especially for busy entrepreneurs and freelancers. As such, we’ve put together some tips to simplify your social media marketing while capturing as much customer interest as possible.

1. Harness AI to create compelling social posts

Hookle AI Smart Content Suggestion

Tired of agonizing over every word of your social media posts? With artificial intelligence (AI), you can simplify social media tasks by prompting platforms such as Hookle and ChatGPT to generate relevant post suggestions.

Just start typing or add a link, and Hookle's AI tools - Content Suggestions and Image Suggestions - will craft compelling posts aligned with your brand voice and vision. It's that simple!

2. Choose the right platforms for your brand

Photo by Hookle

There are tons of social media platforms out there. However, your audience base will only use a few of them. Rather than waste time creating posts only a small slice of your audience will see, try to establish which platforms are most relevant to your brand and purpose.

For example, younger audiences will likely gravitate toward services such as Tik Tok and Instagram. Older, professionalized demographics, on the other hand, are more likely to use LinkedIn and Twitter. Once you’ve settled upon the most appropriate platform, invest your time and resources into building a robust social media presence.

Are you looking for valuable tips on how to choose the right platforms? Discover expert advice in our blog post titled How to Choose the Right Social Media Channels for Your Small Business.

3. Plan your content strategy

Hookle Planner module

Drawing up a content calendar will help you stay organized and ensure your posts are regular, engaging, and varied. You could, for example, create a weekly posting schedule on Monday morning, populating your calendar with promotional content and informative posts.

You should also keep an eye out for relevant awareness days and events that may speak to your audience, such as Valentine’s Day, Pride Month, or International Women’s Day. Small businesses can gain a lot of traction by addressing trending topics.

4. Focus your effort where you find the most joy

Photo by Pete Johnson via Canva

Don't force yourself into video content creation just because professionals claim it offers the widest reach. If recording and editing videos feel like a chore and lacks enjoyment, it's best to let go of that approach. Instead, focus on platforms and content types that you genuinely enjoy creating.

To begin, consider which platform you find most enjoyable for consuming content. When you mindlessly scroll through your phone, which app do you typically gravitate towards?

Social media marketing involves more than simply publishing content. To build an engaged audience, you need to actively engage with them as well. By selecting a platform(s) you genuinely enjoy spending time on, it may become easier and more enjoyable to engage with your audience.

5. Invest in training

Photo by shironosov via Canva

Just as you wouldn't fly a plane without training or knit a jumper without learning the necessary techniques, social media requires proper training too.

There is a wide range of training options available, both paid and free, that can help you understand the technical aspects of your chosen platform(s) or learn strategies to enhance the effectiveness of your efforts. By investing either your time or finances, you can demystify social media and improve your skills.

6. Schedule your posts

Photo by bancha sinchai via Canva

Even with a content calendar, it’s easy to forget to log into your social accounts to publish content. Fortunately, services such as Hookle allow you to schedule your social posts in advance, selecting the best time and day to release content.

As well as ensuring you don’t miss any pressing news, setting aside an hour or two to schedule your social media posts will help you avoid unwanted interruptions later in the week. Social media is notoriously distracting and can interrupt your workflow, so using a platform like Hookle is a great way to reclaim your attention span and give yourself time to craft genuinely valuable posts that drive engagement.

7. Interact with your followers

Photo by Monster Ztudio via Canva

Social media platforms provide unprecedented access to followers, allowing you to ask questions, respond to queries, and start conversations that could enhance your reputation and create a buzz around your brand.

Effective strategies for starting conversations could include creating a Twitter poll, organizing a competition, or live-tweeting a relevant event. You should also respond promptly to any comments, messages, or mentions, as this will show that you care about providing excellent customer service.

8. Engage users with gorgeous stock images

Photo by Hookle

Social media users are bombarded with information every time they log in. Incorporating images into your posts will help capture their attention and drive engagement, ensuring you gain as much exposure as possible.

Of course, many small businesses don’t have the resources to create bespoke graphics or professional photographs. With Hookle, however, you can gain instant access to Unsplash’s vast library of stock images. Featuring over 5 million images and counting, Unsplash can help businesses in any sector supercharge their social media presence in a matter of seconds.

9. Track and analyze key metrics

Hookle Social Score

To optimize your social media time-saving strategy, it's crucial to analyze metrics such as follower count, reach, impressions, click-through rate, social media referral traffic, and conversion rate. While analyzing these metrics may seem daunting and time-consuming, there's a convenient solution to simplify the process.

Hookle offers a dashboard that generates a single score, enabling you to easily assess the overall health of all your social media accounts in one place. How convenient is that!

Ascertain which posts produce the best results and which fall flat, as this will help you identify what types of content your audiences love. Don’t waste time reproducing strategies that fail to drive the attention you deserve.

10. Allow yourself a pause when necessary

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVSTOVA via Canva

Prioritize self-care over consistency in social media marketing. In a world of overwhelming information, idealized influencers, and comparison-induced stress, social media can harm our mental well-being.

If you experience feelings of overwhelm or inadequate while scrolling through social media, or if you believe it's time for a digital detox, grant yourself the freedom to step away. Uninstall apps, disable notifications and remember that your social media accounts and audience will be waiting when you return.

You may find value in reading our blog article that provides Tips To Save Mental Energy When Creating Content On Social Media.

Get started with Hookle

Photo by Hookle

Effective social media marketing doesn’t have to consume huge amounts of time or resources. If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner looking to simplify your social media marketing strategy, Hookle is here to help.

Our intuitive platform will help streamline your social media efforts to ensure your audiences remain engaged and you have time to get on with other tasks. Download Hookle and get started today!