Not getting the amount of likes or shares you would like? This is a constant challenge for social media marketers, both amateurs and professionals. There is always the question of whether posts are being seen by the target audience and if these are engaging enough.

To help you effectively use visuals on social media, here are 15 hacks you can use to ensure greater visibility on each of the major platforms.

 

Table of Contents

Hack #1: Use High-Resolution and Compelling Images

Hack #2: Encourage Action and Response

Hack #3: Create Consistent Content

Hack #4: Post at the Right Time

Hack #5: Implement Facebook Open Graph Tags

Hack #6: Caption Wisely

Hack #7: Hashtag Vigorously

Hack #8: Upload Shareable Visual Content

Hack #9: Partner With Influencers

Hack #10: Curate Content From Followers

Hack #11: Optimize the Description

Hack #12: Create Blog Boards

Hack #13: Track Pins From Competitors

Hack #14: Create and Join Group Boards

Hack #15: Explore Outside Your Niche

 

Hack #1: Use High-Resolution and Compelling Images

Visual content is dominating social media. It continues to grow on a daily basis. Competition is stiff and survival is dependent on who has the ability to produce better engaging visual pieces.

Create images that are reflective of your company’s mission and convey the brand’s message. Capture attention with your images. Time and again we have mentioned that your visual content should deliver a message in a matter of seconds. This is the average attention span of a viewer when they come across visual content of any type.

Also, remember to craft visual content that deliberately raises brand recognition, and use high resolution images that are compliant with Facebook’s recommended dimensions. Refer to our post on social media size guidelines.

 

Hack #2: Encourage Action and Response

I am not referring to the commonly used “hit like,” “click share” or “add your comment” calls to action. These type of CTAs are considered as spam by Facebook, so if you want to really engage your consumers and prospects, encourage your audience to take action with more creative approaches. Just take a look at how the “Caption This” CTA has generated positive results on Facebook.

The most successful marketers also know that consumers respond to rewards. If you offer them something of value, they are more likely to respond to your post.

 

Hack #3: Create Consistent Content

The amount of engagement you achieve on a social platform like Facebook may be totally different from the engagement levels you attain through your site or blog. Since the majority of people who visit your site are most likely consumers looking for solutions to their pain points or needs, the key here is to source or create visual content that talks about your niche; offer content related to your industry. What you share on your Facebook page must conform to what you also share on your company blog or website.

For example, a baby food company should stay on topic and not post content on, say, the key differences between car engines.

Craft content carefully and make sure it conforms to your audience's expectations. Otherwise, you risk getting un-liked, hidden or even reported for spam.

 

Hack #4: Post at the Right Time

According to a source, Facebook users are the most active and ready to engage on Thursdays and Fridays, while the best time to post is between 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM during the weekdays and on Saturday.

But the ideal times to post really depend on your industry or niche. A mommy hacks website, for example, should post content on Facebook early in the morning or before lunch time. These are the times when their potential viewers are not so busy and have time to scroll through their pages.

As a general reference, here we provide some recommended time intervals for posting your content:

• Early-morning post (5am- 7am): We are living in a mobile-dominated world. Most people today have a smartphone or a tablet next to their beds. Some people spend the first hours of their day checking what they’ve missed while they were asleep. Some people find time while having their coffee or before their morning ritual.

• Lunch-time post (12pm- 2pm): Mobiles phones are often used to learn about the latest trending topics on social media. Mealtimes have become an ideal time for scrolling through social media sites for students and employees.
• Afternoon post (3pm- 5pm): This is one of the best times to capture your audience's attention since students and employees are leaving work/school and heading home. This is a time most people use to distract their minds from their daily worries and tasks.

• Late-night post (9pm- 11pm): Studies have shown that more and more social media users spend an hour or two before they go to bed to check their social media feeds and interact with friends. Considered as down time, this interval is often used to connect with others and find interesting content to share online.

 

Hack #5: Implement Facebook Open Graph Tags

This is Facebook’s personalized sharing tag. If you have Open Graph implemented on your website, you can preset specific attributes that Facebook pulls from your website when you share your content.

With this feature, you can set defaults that will dictate what link text or image will appear on a Facebook post when you share links. This helps your content appear exactly the way you want it and allows you to optimize it according to the platform.

 

Hack #6: Caption Wisely

Your content is the star of the show, but you can enliven the visual story with captions and wisely used hashtags. Adding relevant hashtags can make it easier for people to find your content.

Research has found that content with a minimum of 11 hashtags receives better interaction. Use this to your advantage. Create a list of the most relevant hashtags and use them every time you post content or upload a media file.

Tap hashtags that are commonly used by your audience. Use @ mentions, when necessary, to give proper credit to brand collaborators, featured images and UGC photographers. Incorporating hashtags and @ mentions in your captions have also shown to increase engagement.

 

Hack #7: Hashtag Vigorously

There are three ways you can benefit from hashtags.

First, create and monitor your own hashtag. Branded hashtags serve as a beacon for tracking photos related to your brand. It creates a space for conversations between followers and a place where they can actively share their experiences with your brand.

Second, use and engage industry-related hashtags. Locate hashtags that influencers are using. Start by searching words or phrases relevant to your content. Find and identify the hashtags you want or need. Implement these hashtags in your own captions and monitor performance.

Third, hi-jack trending hashtags. If you find trending hashtags related to your brand, use them wisely and in a timely fashion to generate traffic to your profile. This helps others discover your brand.

 

Hack #8: Upload Shareable Visual Content

Pair up fascinating images with value-added captions. A makeup guru, for example, can use her latest selfie to offer tips for beginners or pros. Use the caption wisely. Explore and exploit all relevant hashtags. This combo creates a compelling post with unlimited possibilities for information sharing.

 

Hack #9: Partner With Influencers

Influencers need not be popular brands that your brand relates to. They can be social media experts who are creating high-quality content. Instagram influencers, for example, often have an enormous fan base and are sought after for their opinions on the latest products, events or offerings.

Aligning your brand with the right influencer will greatly bolster your brand recognition campaigns.

 

Hack #10: Curate Content From Followers

If you have active followers, use their content to your advantage.  Tag or mention them in your captions and add hashtags from their captions as well. This tip uses two marketing techniques: engaging your fans and recognizing their content.

You can use the original post or repurpose the content, but then give due credit to the account or profile you got it from.

 

Hack #11: Optimize the Description

Pinterest is a visual platform. If you are using it to promote your products, use the description box wisely. Add a brief or specific product feature and highlight the benefit it provides to your consumers. And if you have a fixed offering in terms of price, include the price tag. Use no more than 200-250 characters from the allotted 500.

 

Hack #12: Create Blog Boards

You can use blog boards to promote your weekly blog content. A blog board serves as a directory followers can refer to in order to find your content.

As you add fresh content to your blog website, make it a habit to pin them on your Pinterest profile and include a Pin It For Later Link for your followers when you share the Pinterest board on your other social media accounts.

 

Hack #13: Track Pins From Competitors

Tap into your competitors' followers by using Pinalerts to track their pins. In the social media analytics section, find the pinners, scour their profiles and, if they have a sizable audience and are actively sharing your competitor’s content, connect with them.

There’s a 90% chance of having them follow you back; when this happens, you can expect them to actively share your content as well.

 

Hack #14: Create and Join Group Boards

Group boards offer unparalleled reach. If you create a group board, you create a place for your community to actively exchange interests and pins. If you join group boards, you increase your chances of growing your fan reach effortlessly. Why? A group board is a place for Pinterest users to connect and share common interests.

Building a community in Pinterest is easier with group boards because there is a feature that allows users to “follow all” members and groups each of the other members are affiliated to.

These group boards are constantly updated and when they are, your profile is updated as well. This prompts potential followers to instantly follow you after seeing a connected wealth of resources in your account.

 

Hack #15: Explore Outside Your Niche

Pinterest allows users to mix business with personals. The good thing about Pinterest is that you can collect resources from outside your niche or industry. Adding boards that include your hobbies and interests allows your followers to see you as a person and not just a business entity.