It’s hard to know, as a brand, when and where to interfere in social media. Few companies have a deep understanding how social media interacts with consumers, whether it will expand product and brand recognition, drive sales, profitability, or gain loyalty. It does seem, however, like brands are increasingly expected to participate in social media. This includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Vine, and Google+. Unfortunately it seems that within each of these mediums, the social media landscape is becoming increasingly cluttered.

Luckily, as we’ve learned in our BAMA513 class, with an open mind and a willingness to try new things, here are three techniques that companies and brands can use to stand out.

Be Flexible
Some websites such as tweriod can tell you when most of your followers are online, but there are many different factors that can affect the success of a tweet or Instagram picture. By doing A/B testing and playing with the types of content included, the time of day, or the frequency of posts, companies and brands can learn a lot about their customers. Constantly gathering insights and adapting strategies based on these insights can result in happier and more engaged followers. Companies and brands can never rest on their laurels but must be willing to constantly evaluate and adapt social media strategies.

Look at Analytics
Beyond A/B testing, there are quite a few tools out there that are helpful to companies and brands looking to learn more about their social media. Dashboard such as Hootsuite makes it easier to track conversations and hashtags and can generate many useful reports. Even simple Google analytics and Facebook analytics, once set up, can provide a lot of insight too.

Have a Great Website
At the end of the day, the goal of every business is to make money. The reason companies and brands are involved with social media is to attract followers who ideally will purchase items from them. Because of this, all activity and content on social media should have the goal of leading followers back to their website to learn more about or purchase their product. A great website is essential for connecting with customers. Using a URL redirection service with real-time link tracking such as bit.ly can tell you how often followers click on a link.

With these tips in mind, companies and brands will be better able to stand out online.

Food for thought: The social media landscape is changing everyday. Is your company properly set up to monitor its social media analytics to gain insights to how these changes are affecting you?