Before I began typing this blog, I Googled “social media tips.”  Any guess on how many results came up?

648 Million.

So you might as well say advice about Twitter, Facebook, and all their counterparts is just about infinite.  A lot of them say the same things, but you can run across a gem or two that you’ve never thought about before.  I’d venture to say that neither one of us have time to read that many articles to hone our social media savvy. However, I’ve gathered one basic “trick” from each of the more popular platforms than can “treat” you to a better social media experience.

Google+:  Google+ has been the hardest tool for me to grasp and use effectively.  I’m glad I have it and I post on it regularly.  But if you are in the same boat with me, think about this:

According to a Searchmetrics study, it’s proven that having a Google+ profile is really a no-brainer as +1 shares scored the highest correlation with good rankings in SERP. Your posts on Google+ are indexed with the ‘speed of light’ which, in some case, can be within minutes of the post being published.

Twitter: I don’t know about you, but I never complain about watching reruns of my favorite funny Friends episodes on TV.  Along those same lines, remember this: People also enjoy great content. If it’s really great, they’ll keep going back to it.  So don’t  be afraid to post the same thing more than once, but change it up.  Tweak the title you use on your Twitter post and refresh your article if a lot of time has passed since you wrote it.  You can even try posting at different times and days, since your followers are constantly tuning in and out.

Facebook:  It’s absolutely necessary to include a call to action on your Facebook posts. Specify whether you want users to “Like” a post or “Share it”.  An easy way to increase engagement is to simply ask them to participate if they enjoyed the content.

LinkedIN:  Don’t stalk business colleagues’ Facebook page to find out more about them. Use LinkedIn. Either before or after  meeting someone at an event, look them up to learn a little more about what they currently do, as well as their professional background. Even if you don’t connect, it helps you to remember them. By the way, this is another reason why having a profile picture is important—it will help people remember you.

Pinterest: Put your pinners first by posting by encouraging reader engagement:

•  A Guest Pinner board that gets your followers involved and more personally invested in your brand.  And they can have some fun while they’re at it! 

• A feedback board can designate a board specifically for customer feedback and testimonials.  On this board, followers can easily access pertinent information about your services or products, as well as stories from users.  Having this readily available indicates the desire to connect with and service your clients at a deeper level.

Social media is a living and breathing entity that virtually never sleeps….and its immediacy demands us to pay attention.  We all want to stay engaged with our social media following, but none of us can possible stay online 24/7. So, another “trick” is to download the mobile apps for each of the social networks and then turn on their notifications and alerts so that even in the locked screen, you can see if someone has connected. That way you don’t have to be glued to your computer to stay engaged, but you can always see when and if you need to respond.