Jeff Haden| Inc
What you say is important. But so is how and when you say it.
You work hard to create great content. Now you need people to actually see what you create.
That means optimizing your social media strategy across different platforms. But how?
The following is drawn from research conducted by Compendium, a content marketing platform that helps organizations easily distribute branded content to a variety of marketing channels. (They provide a number of free content marketing resources here.)
Of course the better you know your audience the better you can tailor your social media marketing strategy to meet their needs. So your results may vary, but the following is a great place to start.
How to Say It
1. Is there an ideal social message length?
Twitter: One to five words is the ideal length for B2C companies; consumers appreciate short and sweet. Where B2B is concerned, 11-15 words is ideal; any shorter and the message may not provide enough information to draw them in.
LinkedIn: For B2C, 21-25 words is the ideal length. For B2B, 16-25 is best.
2. Do question marks draw interest or spark conversations?
Twitter: Messages receive 52% fewer clicks if a question mark is included for B2C, 39% fewer for B2B.
LinkedIn: B2C messages receive 45% fewer clicks, B2B 25% fewer.
Clearly people tend to use Twitter and LinkedIn to find answers, not answer questions. Facebook may be a better option for surveys and questions.
3. Are exclamation marks effective?
Twitter: Using exclamation marks results in 8% fewer clicks on Twitter for B2C, 15% fewer on B2B. Evidently hyperbole or breathless enthusiasm isn’t helpful on Twitter.
LinkedIn: B2C messages with exclamation marks get 27% more clicks for B2C and 26% more for B2B. Exclamation marks work–but as Compendium notes, “Only use exclamation marks when relevant… if everything is exciting, nothing is exciting.”
4. Are hashtags effective?
Twitter: For B2C companies, messages on Twitter receive 82% fewer clicks if they include a hashtag, but hashtagged messages are 193% more effective for B2B. B2B followers appreciate relevant hashtags; B2C followers do not.
LinkedIn: 20% fewer clicks for B2C, 56% more clicks for B2B. LinkedIn users are able to follow conversations using hashtags and for B2B connections, they work.
5. Does using a number really make a difference?
Conventional wisdom says social media posts (and blog posts and article titles) with numbers in them generate more clicks. The results are mixed:
Twitter: 3.5% more clicks for B2C, 50% more clicks for B2B.
LinkedIn: No real effect for B2C or B2B.
Use numbers when they’re appropriate, especially for Twitter B2B. But otherwise don’t force them because they don’t make much difference.