I am hoping by now that many of you are using Social Media. As a business, it just makes sense! However, it can be difficult figuring out what to say. You don't want to get stuck in a rut of posting the same thing, or just updating for the sack of getting your name out there. I have done some research, which you can read below, to discover how to keep your Social Media fresh so your readers will stay intrigued.

1 - Don't Always Talk About Yourself:
This is the key to success in Social Media. Don't just share links to your site or overly promotional posts. Be human, be conversational, and talk about the good words of others, including sharing their content, links or creations (with credit of course). 

2 - Check the Date:
No idea what to post? Check the calendar! Each month - or even each day or week for that matter - plays host to a variety of holidays, awareness weeks, and events. Find the ones that tie in to your business and find a way to connect with your audience over those occasions. Not only is it timely, but it's also unique. Try implementing date or time-specific promotions through social media that relate to the occasion, host chats or streams using hashtags relating to that event to raise awareness and generate conversation, or create graphics associated with that specific event and share them throughout your social channels. 

3 - Crowdsource:
Your social networks are a goldmine of opportunity for content, so source from them on occasion when you need a break. Ask for photo submissions for a contest, or retweet their answers to a poll, prompt, or question. It gets the conversation going and has the potential to grow your audience at the same time. 

4- Quotations and Questions:
Questions and Quotations are always good for sharability and engagement. Get others involved so it's not always all about you. 

5- Add Visuals:
Adding videos, photos, or graphics instantly makes your status update more attractive, plus, it boosts your potential to have it shared across multiple channels. Take the time to enrich a post with a photo or a video you've created - you'll be surprised at the increased levels of engagement you'll see as a result. 

6- Make the Next Step:
Post a teaser of something and then link to the content or landing page where they can get more information or explore something more in depth. Think 'calls to action' when you make your updates. 

7- Search for Sources:
Stuck on where to find the topic of your next tweet or status update? Check sources like YouTube, Blogs, Flickr, Pinterest, Newsletters and more for new information and inspiration.

8- Short and Sweet
Research shows that on Facebook, shorter posts tend to perform better in terms of engagement and views, so keep that in mind when making an update. Don't be afraid to make a short exclamation and let it roll from there. 

Maintaining your Social Media accounts regularly does not need to be time consuming, burdensome or boring. Most of these suggestions are quick solutions that can be fun and informative. Stay on top of the trends, the news, and keep it conversational and friendly and your viewers are guaranteed to appreciate what you're saying. 

It's a new year for us, but we haven't quite finished up our Online Presence Blueprint yet. We still have Month 11 and 12 to go. And this month our focus in going to be on Social Advertising. And what is Social Advertising? It is online advertising that can be done to boost your presence through online platforms, such as Facebook Ads. 

But first, let's go over what we have learned in past months to get us here. We started by Listening to our customers and building a Content Foundation. From there we worked on making Sharable content and eBooks. We then turned our focus to Content Delivery, Landing Pages and Email Communicaton. It was at that point that we worked on our presence on Social Media, including our Social Profiles and Social Integration. And just last month we learned about Conversion tools. These were items like Google Analytics that can turn online advertising campaigns into statistics and information we can track and understand. And that leads us to this month, creating those online advertisements through Smart Advertising. And how can you do this?

Step 11: Smart Advertising
- Link your AdWords account to your Google Analytics account so you can see and understand how your online marketing is working for you
- Create at least one foundational AdWords campaign 
- Create a Facebook offer for discounted or free content/products

Smart Advertising is all about selling your business online. Last month we had learned how to track results from online advertising campaigns, and this month we want you to get out there and start creating these online campaigns. Again, use what works for you best. But mostly, become aware of the tools you can use to advertise yourself in the online world.