6 Social Media New Year’s Resolutions

Now is the perfect time to evaluate your social media strategy and figure out how to be more successful in the new year. Here are 6 Social Media New Year’s Resolutions for 2014. 1. Research new social media platforms. The social media landscape is constantly changing, so be on the lookout to see which app will be the next must-use tool. “I want to continue to explore new social media sites, especially where they have cool and useful mobile apps,” explains Dave Wakeman, Principal, Wakeman Consulting Group. “I've fallen into the trap of using the same 3 or 4 sites and I feel like exposure to new tools would benefit me personally and professionally.” “I will be spending more time on Instagram and Google+, as I am finding that the community interaction and reach is greater there,” says Becky Elmuccio, Crafty Garden Mama. “Also, Google+ hangouts are a great way to talk with fellow bloggers, and have great potential for brand campaigns.” 2. Spend more time on visual sites. Photos, videos, and infographics are only going to continue to rise in popularity, so why not get on board. "Earlier this year, we saw a rise in visual social media platforms like YouTube and Pinterest coming in just behind the big three in adoption growth among small businesses,” says Mark Schmulen, general manager of social media at Constant Contact. “In 2014, a picture truly will be worth a thousand words as small businesses increase their adoption of visual-based social networks like Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, and Slideshare." “I just started creating infographics this year, and with original content and visual content trends rising, it’s clear that using infographics to relay information to consumers will become even more important in 2014,” says Kimberly Lombard, Community Manager, mosaicHUB. 3. Engage more. After all, social media is all about engaging with – and listening to – your audience, which includes experts and brands. “I'm working on creating more interactions and starting conversations, instead of just throwing things out there,” says Hugh McIntyre, Marketing Manager, BoomBox, Inc. “Social media should be “social,” and I'm going to make ours just that. Also, I'm going to make our posts – especially Instagram – more creative, and make our tweets show off our fantastic company personality.” “In 2014 I'll encourage my clients to create more useful content for their audiences and focus on talking about what their customers want and need to hear about,” shares Jeff Echols, Architect of the Internet. 4. Create great content. Whether through blogs, tweets, posts, contests, and newsletters, great content will always be in style. “My social media New Year's Resolution is to type more,” says Maria Kretowicz, Marketing Manger, Bach to Rock. “I've been wanting to create a personal blog for a few years now … I have so many interests and ideas that are constantly brewing that I feel it would be beneficial to get it all out there and create something.” “Going into next year, I plan to continue social media's immersion into the lives of the greater Trident community,” explains Daniel Sloan, Social Media Manager, Trident University International. “Every tweet, every blog post, and every group interaction needs to be about enriching the lives of our student and alumni population, whether they are tips on military to civilian transitions, a primer on the best way to format a cover letter, or a tweet about Monday Night Football.” 5. Unplug. The best way to utilize social media is to be social both on and offline. “I am going to be more conscious of how often I’m connecting to my social network, my Smartphone, tablet, and laptop,” says Aliza Sherman, web pioneer and author. “I am planning on regularly scheduled “Unplugged Time.” My New Year’s Resolution is to be more mindful of when I choose to connect, to be more meaningful as I connect, and to be more thoughtful about what I am saying and doing while connected.” "In 2014, I'm resolved to find ways to support my real-life relationships with social media,” says Michael Waxman, CEO and founder of Grouper. “It's all about using technology to make offline connections count." 6. Prioritize. One social media site does not fit all. What may drive tons of traffic to one business may not necessarily be the best place for another. It’s important to have some sort of presence on the top sites – Facebook, Twitter, and, yes, Google+. Yet, spend the majority of your time on the social sites that drive the most traffic to your business. “As a business owner who relies heavily on Facebook to drive sales, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in traffic from Facebook,” shares Tatiana Tugbaeva, Owner, My Little Jules boutique. “As Facebook is moving toward promoted posts, our business Facebook updates have not been reaching most of our fans. That's why my New Year Social Media resolution is to move away from Facebook and find other social media venues to reach and communicate with customers. We have been experimenting with Google+ as a Facebook alternative. Instagram is proving to be a great tool, as well.” “There are [always] new ways to engage or experiment with social media,” believes Sandra Fathi, president of Affect. “Maybe it's the Facebook contest you wanted to try, customer content submissions for your blog, Vine videos, a new Pinterest board, a dedicated YouTube channel, a direct messaging campaign on Instagram ... the list could go on…. Success in social media means always reinventing the formula.” What are your Social Media New Year's Resolutions? Let us know in the comments.

Social Pro Daily

6 Social Media New Year’s Resolutions

Now is the perfect time to evaluate your social media strategy and figure out how to be more successful in the new year. Here are 6 Social Media New Year’s Resolutions for 2014.

Debra Eckerling

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Debra Eckerling