9 resolutions for a social media specialist for 2014

DISCOVER NEW NETWORKS

It is important to discover new networks to increase your points of contact and to be creative in order to use the networks appropriately. You can try SnapChat or Instagram if this is new to you. Resolve to create at least one new social media presence and use it appropriately. 

CHECK YOUR SOURCES BEFORE SHARING

It sometimes happens that we see news and say to ourselves “wow, that's almost unbelievable! This may be a sign that this is indeed not true . It is always important, in order to position yourself well as an expert in a field, to ensure the validity of the content shared. 

DON'T OVERUSE HASHTAGS

Hashtags were declared the word of 2012 and overused in 2013 with their adoption in the Facebook search engine. Now is the time to calm down and think before using a hashtag. If your post has more than two hashtags, you might have questions. Also, if you're on Facebook, spin your hands seven times around the keyboard to ask yourself if people will use the hashtag.  

LOOK AT THE RIGHT STATS

It's important to check your stats to see if you're performing well. However, it is even more important to look at the right statistics to see beyond the number of subscribers . As a suggestion, I would go with: 

• Number of engaged followers (how many interact with you?)
• Organic post reach (who do you reach?)
• Viral reach of posts (are your posts shared?)
• Engagement Rate – Engaged Users/Total Reach (Are my posts engaging enough?)
  
  

MAKE SURE ALL YOUR PLATFORMS HAVE BEEN UPDATED

Go for a spin on all your platforms and make sure the presence description, website, and logo are good . So take a look at Google Maps, FourSquare, Trip Advisor and all the platforms you visit less often. To make sure you don't forget anything, use a site like NameChk to see if there are any presences you might not have thought of.  

Otherwise, on a personal level, take a look at your LinkedIn profile and make sure everything is in order.

ESTABLISH SYNERGY BETWEEN PLATFORMS

Take the time to consider the possible synergy between the different platforms in 2014 . You publish a lot of content online already, there's no reason this content should only benefit one platform.

PUTTING EFFORTS IN THE RIGHT PLACES

In 2014, assess where it is important for you to spend the most time and money . Depending on your objectives and your resources, you are always led to make very important choices regarding the networks to use and the strategies to adopt.

BE USEFUL

Your subscribers will expect even more from you in 2014. They will want to go beyond small talk, they will want you to be useful to them. To be useful is to help the consumer on social media . Transform your brand into a useful brand to be at the heart of the relationship with people. This could be giving tips on how to organize the laundry room, creating an app to help them plan their meal, or simply giving advice on how to use your products/services. 

DON'T WRITE NONSENSE

I end with a resolution that, year after year, we can only keep in mind if we don't want to end up in a public relations fiasco because of a tweet that should not have existed. Online,  you always have to be very careful of what you say, whether you are a brand or an individual!

Thomas.