10 Powerful Social Media Hacks to Grow Your Business

In today's world, digitalization and social media are integral parts of our lives, regardless of where we live or how old we are. We use social media as a tool to connect with friends and family, share our experiences, and promote our businesses.

However, with competition abundant and fierce, it can be difficult to stand out online. That's where optimization comes in: here are ten social media hacks that you can use to increase engagement, followers, and reach, and ultimately, grow your business.

1. Use the Same Handle and Profile Picture Across Different Platforms

Using the same handle and profile picture across all social media platforms makes it easier for your audience to find and follow you. If you opt for different and complex handles, you’ll make it difficult for people to find your account which means you may lose potential new fans.

The same goes for profile pictures: consistency across different platforms assures people that they have found the right person. Even if you have multiple profile pictures, choosing similar ones with the same color scheme can still maintain brand cohesion and recognition.

2. Publish Video Content

You may have heard it before: everyone is switching to video content. In fact, video content is so effective that 82% of internet traffic in 2022 came from video, and 92% of audiences worldwide watched online videos.

Fortunately, creating video content nowadays is much easier than expected and it’s also your best chance of going viral. All you need is lean production videos, like those on Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. They perform well and require less overhead for brands. And you don’t even need to record your own voice as you can use text-to-speech generators for games, audio ads, e-learning, and audiobooks.

3. Post at the Right Time

When it comes to social media publishing, timing is key! That means you should post to your social media accounts when your followers are online and active as this can maximize engagement.

Not sure what the best time to post on social media is? Simply use the built-in analytics tools offered by the different platforms. They provide specific information about your target audience, such as gender split, location, language, age groups, and most active times.

You can also opt to use third-party apps like Hootsuite to determine the best time to post on Instagram and other platforms based on your audience's behavior and engagement levels. With the help of these tools, you ensure that your content is seen and engaged with by the right people at the right time.

4. Use Keywords

Search engine optimization (SEO) is not only important for blogs and website content but also for your social media account and posts. Be consistent when using keywords in your name, bio, handle, post captions, and hashtags. Adding your location can also help identify you.

To ensure that visual content is accessible to individuals who are visually impaired, alt-text is critical. That’s because screen readers can detect it and read it out loud. Accurate descriptions are equally essential as they assist Instagram in understanding your content, and help to present it to the appropriate audience in relevant searches, such as on the Explore page.

5. Engage With Your Followers

Building trust and relationships is crucial if you want to beat your competition online and achieve long-term success. One of the best ways to do that is to engage with your followers on your social platforms.

When you respond to comments and messages, you show your followers that their opinions matter and that you are interested in what they have to say. On top of that, taking the time to engage with your followers allows you to gather valuable insights and feedback that can help you improve your products or services.

Lastly, communicating directly with your audience can build a loyal community around your brand which will ultimately lead to more sales.

6. Work With Influencers

Influencers are social media users who have a large and engaged following in a particular niche or industry. When you partner with an influencer, you can leverage their credibility and reach to promote your brand to their audience.

To find influencers to work with, you can use social media platform search functions that lead you to users who are already talking about your industry or niche. Alternatively, you can use tools like Buzzsumo to find influencers who are creating popular content related to your brand.

When reaching out to influencers, be sure to personalize your message and explain how working with you can benefit both parties. Keep in mind that influencers may receive many partnership requests, so be prepared to offer them remuneration or something else valuable in return.

7. Don’t Post Outbound Links

Did you know that social media posts with external links to e-commerce websites may not perform well? That’s because social media algorithms aim to keep users on their platform, and don’t want you to send them to other sites.

One way to go around this is to mention outbound links in the comment section of a post. Just add a note in your caption that directs users to check the comments for the link and it won’t count as an outbound link.

8. Write Succinct Captions

We all suffer from short attention spans, which means it’s best if you share shorter and more concise pieces of content. In each caption you write, make sure that your content is eye-catching, to the point, and delivered quickly. 

9. Leverage User-Generated Content

It’s not always easy to come up with original posts. That’s where user-generated content comes in: it helps you produce content whenever you're running out of ideas.

Simply repost other users' content to save time and connect with like-minded accounts. You can also be strategic by leveraging accounts with larger followings that may boost your reach. However, don’t forget to tag and credit the original creator properly.

10. Use Analytics

For our last social media hack, we recommend that you use analytics to track the success of your efforts. Tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, or Twitter Analytics make it easy to track your engagement, reach, and conversions. Make sure to analyze your data regularly, so you can identify which strategies are working, and which ones need improvement, then make adjustments as needed.

What elements do you want to try for your social media strategy? Learn more about social media marketing by subscribing to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram @thesavvymediamanager!