How To Use Social Media Sites to Boost Your Internet Presence

Social media sites are excellent tools to help you boost your brand’s presence on the Internet. Here is how we do it for Debbie in Shape.

You will not believe how my head was spinning around to write today’s blog. I have been gathering so much information from different sources and I feel like sharing it all with you.

[Tweet “Use social media sites to boost your Internet presence. #socialmediasites #socialmedia”]

But you do not need to panic. I am not going to do it in one go. It would be impossible anyway. So even though I felt really tempted to post the notes and presentation from our last Hangout On Air, I will still stick to my editorial calendar. You can always watch the replay of the HOA here though. I promise that next Sunday you will be getting a post like the one I did last time.

I am not sure whether you follow me on Facebook or not, but recently I shared a little bit more details about how “bad” June was for me. It was a challenging month to say the least. But you know what? Everything happens for a reason. Even when we are confronted with situations that annoy us, there is no need to dwell on the negative. We listen, we observe, we evaluate, we learn and we move on, wiser than before. I am putting things into perspective and prioritizing what really matters.

 

And that is how I feel these days. My eyes opened and in my decluttering process. I am making room for the new not at home, but inside of me and Internet presence. And I could not be happier with the results.

Newsletter

First of all, I am excited to announce that the subscription to our monthly newsletter has grown. And its percentage of opens and clicks through is higher as well. It is a great way for me to measure our new format. If you want to check it out, please sign up below.

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To learn more about the other subscription options for Debbie in Shape, please check this post. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Social Media

One of the things I have been investing more time in lately is social media. It is true that Periscope plays a major role here, but in general I am loving the interaction on the spot I am getting through various social channels.

For example, I recently “discovered” Twitter chats. I know they are not new stuff, but I had never joined any consistently as I have been doing now. And the thing is that I am enjoying it very much.

[Tweet “Twitter chats are excellent to interact with other marketeers. #socialmediasites #socialmedia”]

I like to use my 2 MacBooks at the same time just to be sure I am not missing a thing. Depending on the amount of participants, it can go really fast. And if by any chance someone derails the conversation, one can easily get lost.

Twitter chats are also a great opportunity to meet new people and interact with them. No matter the size of their presence, everyone I have “chatted” with is open to both teach and learn. That makes the experience incredible.

I have become a goer at CoSchedule‘s #CoChat. So if you want to know where I am on Thursday evenings Europe time, that is one of the places to find me.

 

The other option is Periscope. Oh man! What is that thing? So addicting! I am loving it. I did try Meerkat as well, but my heart inclines to Periscope.

Talking about hearts, getting feedback from viewers right away is the coolest thing ever. It is not like trying to guess what people wants to see or hear. It is a matter of getting hearts when you meet expectations or getting drops when people are not interested. I love it.

Streams stay on the queue for only 24h but you can always download them to your mobile and share them anywhere you want. You will not have the interaction (chat and hearts) anymore, but you can still reuse your content. It is true that it looks like you are talking to yourself, but no one will call you crazy for that. 😉

Note that if you get as addicted as I am, you may need to keep an eye on the free storage of your smartphone or tablet. Both social media sites produce videos in HD. So if you decide to save them all as I do, you will have to make sure you clean your memory from time to time.

Blog

With all this excitement of mine, where does blogging fit in? Everywhere! One thing that people sometimes neglect is the power of social media for blogging. Yes, they are quite different platforms, but their relationship is symbiotic. They might exist as standalone projects, but if you start using them in connection, they will boost.

After writing or revamping content, I plan my social share immediately through CoSchedule . Their WP plugin makes my life so much easier! Even though I do not use it for Facebook that much anymore, it is still my life savior for all the rest.

Allowing users to share your content through share buttons is also a must. Make sure you have buttons not only for your favorite social media sites, but for other well-known platforms as well. They might not be visible, but having some click-through option is advisable. How many times I wish I could promote an article, but the option was not there. Yes, there are browsers bookmarklet, but if the writer does not take the initiative…

I would say that Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest are the minimum options you should be offering. But since a lot of people are reading content through their mobile, allowing email and SMS share are also great additions. Shareaholic is even offering WhatsApp as well. I personally use StumbleUpon a lot. It is a tool that offers a lot of possibilities for both writers and visitors (mainly when they also have a site on their own).

Things you can do today

Maybe you are afraid you will not have time for everything. It is understandable and normal. But from all the options available today, you can pick 1 or 2 social media sites to get started.

If you are a visual person, Instagram or Pinterest may be for you. If you prefer short and fast interactions, I would recommend Twitter. Would you like to improve your skills on camera? Try Periscope or Meerkat for starters and eventually go to YouTube. Facebook and Google Plus offer a little bit of everything, so why not giving them a try?

If writing is your thing, these tools will help you boost your blog posts like crazy. If you prefer to keep it short try micro-blogging with any of these platforms.

[Tweet “Add share buttons to your blog to help your tribe promote your content. #socialmediasites”]

Add share buttons to your blog today. SumoMe and Shareaholic are the ones I know of and that are used more frequently. If you are an analytics freak, you will notice that there is a lot more activity on your site than just comments. People are sharing your content.

You can also add some “click to tweet” messages, it is even better. I use CoSchedule’s plugin for WordPress (yeah, I know, CoSchedule again. But what can I do if I love their stuff?), but there are others out there.

Social media is huge and is always expending. Some may say that this or that platforms are dead, but they are as dead as you let them be. Think outside the box , strengthen your brand  and shine!

Do not be afraid to change your tone along the way if you feel you would be more successful doing something different. In worst case scenario you may “lose” some readers, it will pay off later. Your Voice is the thing that matters the most at the end of the day.

What are your favorite social media sites? Why and how you use it?

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Have a fabulous day!

#DebbieinShape

* You can also find me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieInShape
Instagram: http://instagram.com/debbieinshape
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebbieInShape
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/debbieinshape/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRodriguesPlus/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Debbieinshape/  (em português)

Disclaimer: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. However, when you order through my link, it helps me to continue to offer you lots of free stuff. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you, in advance for your support!