Social media marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for business promotion on a large scale. If used effectively, it allows exposure to a wide audience and to establish their brand identity at far less costs as compared to traditional mediums of promotion.

Social media websites provide a wonderful opportunity to new and small businesses to build brand identity and gain a loyal following.

Using Facebook, Twitter and other similar social media platforms to promote blogs and business website has become standard practice these days. So much so, that in order to gain an edge over competitors, it is necessary to follow the best practices of Social Media promotion to get the best results.

Here are 6 Best Practices you should exercise in your Social Media promotion campaign to get your business to the top. 

1. Follow the 80-20 Rule

And essential component of Social Media promotion is providing content that is of value to others. Simply plugging your business in every post will most likely put off potential followers.

The best practice is to follow the 80-20 rule. Let 20% of your posts be aimed at promoting the business, let the other 80% be focused on providing enjoyable and engaging content to your target demographic.

By doing so you will ensure that viewers and followers on social media websites will keep coming back to your page or profile for more. People who like your value rich posts will share them with their friends and if the content you post is good enough, it will lead to an exponential increase in the number of people you can reach.

2. Make Your Posts Interactive

Engage the viewer or reader in your posts. Include people and ask for their input by posting relevant opinion polls. Ask conversation starter questions that can get the ball rolling in the comments section.

These are great ways of attracting traffic and keeping the visitors engaged while at the same time increasing the probability that they will share the post with their friends.

Providing expert advice and opinions on issues related to your business is another great way of getting and retaining the attentions of your visitors on social media. It builds trust in your expertise and consequently, builds trust in your company.

3. Post as Often as Possible

For a consistent increase in the reach of your company’s social media profile, it is important that you keep up a steady and consistent stream of posts. Publishing 10 posts in the first week and then vanishing for 2 months will not work.

People on social media do not have very long attention spans. Out of sight, out of mind is aptly applicable when it comes to garnering followers through social media.

Start with a pace and regularity that you are confident can be maintained over an extended period of time and then consistently maintain it.

4. Respond Promptly to Comments

Always respond to comments on your posts promptly. When followers see that you take a keen interest in their opinions and thoughts, they will be encouraged to become an active part of the conversation. This will give them a powerful reason to keep coming back.

Remember, the people who comment on your posts are the ones most likely to turn into loyal clients or customers if they are treated well.

By keeping in touch with these people you can begin laying the groundwork for lasting relationships that will benefit your business. You can even get invaluable feedback regarding the brand image of your business and suggestions on how you can improve your business.

5. Build Relationships

The end game of Social Media promotion of a business is to not to simply get popular. The eventual goal is to convert the brand recognition into paying customers who trust you because they have developed a personal relation with your business through social media interaction.

But networking at this scale is a long-term game. It will not work if you pursue a short-term mindset. Build lasting relationships with your clients and customers that will gradually add value to your business.

6. Use Data Analytics

Using data analytics such as Google analytics is a great way to keep track of the progress of your promotion efforts on social media. You can check which topics generate the most traffic and then tailor your posts to get more visitor traffic as often as possible.