111 Social Media Tips Roundup from 35 Books

In this roundup, I’ll go through 111 Social Media Tips that you can implement today.

How did this post come to be? Last year, I set out to read over 100 books in a year.

35 of the books I read have been on the subject of social media marketing.

I took notes on every single one, and I wanted to share all the key takeaways so that other small and medium-sized businesses can benefit.

Read until the end to see my favorite books. I will also link to books when I cite something specific.

You can watch the video below with the full list+added commentary, or read the list below which has additional graphics and links.

Who’s this post for?

•Small businesses and entrepreneurs looking for actionable social media strategies and takeaways.

•Social media marketers and managers. Even if 95% is obvious and review, there could be 4-5 takeaways that make a significant impact.

•I’ll start with more general social media marketing advice, then switch toward what works on specific platforms.

Social Media (General Tips)

1. On average, it takes 8-9 online interactions before someone buys from you

2. 90% of content shared by all social media users was video

Every year this percentage rises. Facebook, in particular, is making the shift toward video, with 8 billion views per day and Facebook videos receiving 135% more reach than photos.

3. Tell a larger story with your Social channel or page. Think of it as a TV show.

The stories in TV create episodes where people keep wanting to find out what happened.

4. Depth matters over width

It’s often more about the level of connection and relationship vs the number of followers.

1,000 followers who are engaged, interested, and loyal fans and customers is often better than 15,000 unengaged followers who don’t have a relationship.

5. Look for opportunities to be a guest on Podcasts, YouTube channels, and guest blogging opportunities.

6. What are the biggest trends in your field?

What’s working for other people that are currently dominating in your field or your industry. What are they doing right? What are they doing wrong?

7. Don’t sacrifice long term growth for short-term gains.

This could be sending people to an affiliate offer you know isn’t in their best interest. It could mean making a quick sale now but not building a long-term relationship. It could mean buying likes so you look good right now.

8. When you’re asking a customer for a testimonial, here’s an easy outline you can give them. This can be a written testimonial or a video testimonial.

•What was the problem that you were having before you went with my product/service?

•What did the frustration feel like as you tried to solve the problem?

•What was different about our product?

•Take us to the moment you realized our product was solving your problem.

•Tell us what life looks like now that you’ve solved that problem.

9. Find the best content in your industry, then find a way to make content that’s even better.

The comments can provide details on what people felt was missing. The content you find can be social media posts, physical books, kindle books, top ranking blog posts, or top-ranking YouTube videos.

10. The American marketing institute found that these words were likely to generate clicks:

(How to Write a Good Advertisement, Victor Schwab)

11. People want it right away. Some great words to use are today, right now, fast, works quickly, easy, quick, simple, step-by-step.

12. How can you outdo your competitors in terms of content, quality of photos and videos, number of photos and videos, connection with your audience?

13. Move angry customer conversations from online to offline.

You want to give them a complete response that everyone can see. It should address their concerns, be reasonable, and professional. However, if they continue to complain, see if you can move the conversation to a phone call or email conversation.

14. People don’t read websites and pages. They scan them.

15. Mention and tag other people and locations on social media. This will add people to the conversation and increase your chances of ranking for the location.

16. Imitate the speech of your target audience.

Do they use large words? Lots of slang? You want to speak to them in the way they talk to one another. Many companies use wooden, academic, “corporate speech” which doesn’t connect with their audience.

17. Talk about the things your audience is talking about.

Are they discussing a new album that came out? A new technology? Become a part of that conversation.

18. Congratulate a customer who got amazing results.

“Congrats to Jeff who just achieved x. If you want to know how he did it, feel free to reach out to me.”

19. In our stories, we want to resolve the external, internal, and philosophical problems.

External problem: I need to pay bills.

Internal problem: Being unable to provide for my family has led to incredible stress and pain. Having extra income would solve these problems.

Philosophical problem: People who work hard, add to other people’s lives, and live honest lives should be able to make a decent living and not be ripped off or scammed.

20. What experiences and content are people seeking when they come to the platform?

People will often come to Facebook to check in with their family and friends. They’ll go to YouTube to watch entertainment or learn something new.

Therefore, the content you create for each platform needs to be centered around the reason people seek when they go onto a platform.

Want to know how many people are on each platform? You can find exact numbers (and the way they’ve changed over time) below:https://youtu.be/-S9Ab0yJk0Y

21. Be generous, informative, inspiring, and funny.

22. Some companies have had success creating polls about discontinued products.

Do you think we should bring back menu item X? If we get a million yes votes, we’ll bring it back.

This will accomplish 2 things:

•People who want it to come back will share it like crazy.

•If it doesn’t get close to 1 million yes votes, people who want it back will understand that the demand just isn’t there.

23. If you wouldn’t be missed if you left the platform, you’re already gone.

24. Include some call to action in nearly every post.

Like, comment, tag, go to our website, share, send us a message, etc.

25. Write down what content from your competitors received the highest number of likes comments and shares.

https://youtu.be/T_Ss7685iCsTo go to part 3 of the video click here

26. Use bitly to shorten long link URLs.

27. Talk about social causes supported by your business.

28. Capturing interviews with experts or thought leaders in your industry is a great way to build trust and authority with your target audience.

Who would your audience love to hear from? Who do they care about?

Try to line up an interview with that person.

29. Try to include faces and humans. Evoke emotions; show people who are happy, overjoyed, angry, frustrated, sad, etc.

30. Keep a list of posts by you and your competitors that have done well and gotten a great response.

31. What is it that you can talk about that no one else can talk about?

No one else can talk about your story, ambitions, etc. No one else can tell your exact process, customer results, business results, or your story.

32. You do not create desire, you give people what they already desire.

We can’t convince people or force people to be interested in what we’re selling.

We can only find people who already want what we’re selling and desire the solution that our product provides.

34. Have the courage to be vulnerable on your accounts.

People can tell if you’re trying to make everything too perfect. Be willing to show the good days and the bad, the victories and the failures.

35. If you’ve delivered useful valuable content, feel free to ask for some help when you really need it:

If you’ve gotten value out of my content, I’d really appreciate you getting the word out about my new book/new course.

36. Give people fewer options in polls or when asking for a comment

Think 2-4 easy choices.

37. Make sure you’re identifying true influencers.

Don’t just look at your followers, look at likes, comments, and engagement. A lot of accounts may have bought likes. Find out who’s truly built a relationship with their audience.

38. Even if you find something that’s working, you’ll need to change and adapt. There’s probably a strategy that works better than what you’re doing.

Also, what worked 2 years ago on a platform might not work anymore.

39. 20 percent of searches are done by voice. 

When people search for you on Google they see 8-9 results and are able to scroll.

When you ask Alexa (the name of Amazon’s popular assistant) she’ll only give a few options and NOTHING else.

40. Show the behind the scenes of your business and your life.

What’s the process that you go through? What’s something people may not know about the work that you do?

41. Create one big problem that you’ll solve over time. 

For example: lose the weight and keep it off. Make money online for the long term. Add $100,000 of value to your home over the next few years.

42. Run a poll at least once a month.

This poll can be about what content they’d like from you, or it can be another topic your audience would like to weigh in on.

43. Stock photos don’t tend to do as well on social media.

Make your content about you and your team! Anyone can find stock photos. What is unique to you?

44. Use social media to both promote and cover an event.

45. Infuse your pages and profiles with as much humanity and empathy as you can.

46. Integrate a hashtag into the event. Make sure everyone knows the hashtag and is using it on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

This will not only allow for more people to find your content online, it will let the people in attendance have their content seen by more people.

47. Think, “if I saw this post, would I share it?”

48. Use keyword rich and engaging descriptions about your business.

On your business descriptions, online pages, etc., make your about section interesting, engaging, and searchable.

49. The ideal number of times to post on each platform:

Facebook: 1 post per day.

Twitter: 15 tweets

Pinterest: 11 pins.

LinkedIn: 1 post per day.

Instagram: 1-2 posts per day.

50. Create curiosity when sending people to a link. Make them want to click for more.

YouTube Marketing Tips

51. These are the tips I used to (achieve desired result). By the end of this video, you’ll be able to (achieve desired result).

Get specific with numbers and figures.

52. Keyword optimize your YouTube playlists.

Playlists are searchable! Make sure you optimize all of your playlists on YouTube so that people are able to search for them.

53. Asking yes or no questions at the start of YouTube videos can increase engagement.

54. On skippable ads, the advertiser only pays when people watch 30 seconds (or until the end of the video if it is less than 30 seconds)

55. Include something that hooks your audience back in every few minutes.

This could be something surprising, or funny, a change of scenery, or even a statement like “now I really want for you to listen to this since it’s SO important”.

56. Find your videos that have a high level of retention and that lead to new subscribers.

Add links, cards, and end screens on other videos that link to these top-performing videos.

57. Create a playlist that includes popular videos on a subject.

Be sure to include your videos in this playlist as well. You can give the playlist the same title as the most popular video.

Want to know more about succeeding on YouTube? Check out my ULTIMATE GUIDE by clicking HERE.

58. Make your watermark look like a subscribe button.

59. Reply to every comment. Heart every comment.

60. Shoot for a click through rate of 4-8% and at least 50% watch time

61. Give smart and funny responses to people’s comments.

Want more YouTube tips for growth? Check out my article here.

Facebook Tips

62. Users watch Facebook live videos 3x longer than non-live videos

63. On your Facebook event, if people say they’re interested, you can later remarket to them.

64. Mark Zuckerberg has said “meaningful engagements” is the future of Facebook.

65. Facebook is transitioning to a platform that’s primarily video.

66. On Facebook page insights: you an tell you which sections of your page people are responding to

67. Native links have 10x higher views than external links

68. 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound.

69. Facebook ads: Avoid using additional targeting on top of a lookalike audience.

70. Retargeting requires specific creative for each audience.

71. You can use Facebook groups that include your ideal customer to pitch and validate business ideas.

72. Contribute, answer questions, and become a part of the community before pitching your ideas.

73. Facebook groups have a higher reach and level of engagement than a Facebook page

74. You can link to your Facebook group in your email signature.

75. You can give someone a 7-day group pass to your paid Facebook group.

76. If your ads are naturally performing better than your competitors’ ads, then they’ll be shown to more people and they’ll be cheaper.

77. Your ads can stop running altogether if they’re performing terribly.

78. You can put people who’ve left negative comments on your Facebook ads on a block list.

Facebook pixels are incredibly important when you’re running ads. To learn what they can do for you (and how to set them up) watch the video below.

Instagram:

79. Be artistic, but not overly corporate or commerical.

80. You can be humorous or snarky.

81. Tell visual stories.

82. People are more willing to engage with brands on Instagram vs Facebook.

83. Ask people questions.

What do you think this house will sell for? Which outfit do you prefer?

84. Promote your other videos in your stories.

85. More people watch Instagram stories with sound on vs in the feed.

86. $1.80 Instagram strategy which translates to leaving your personal .02 cents on the top 9 trending Instagram posts for 10 different hashtags that are relevant to your brand or business every single day.

-Gary Vaynerchuck

Reach more people on Instagram by using the hashtag strategy below.

Twitter Tips

87. Twitter is more about listening and reacting than planning out posts way in advance. Jump in conversations when they’re hot.

88. Research has shown that tweets without links perform better and get more engagement.

89. On Twitter, it’s the easiest to connect with famous people and DM collaborators.

It’s much easier to directly communicate with influential and famous people on this platform.

Pinterest Tips

90. Use rich pins that link to your website or blog posts.

When you create a rich pin, people can click on it and then be taken to your website directly.

91. Every pin must be visually compelling.

92. Could your photo be in a fancy magazine? This should be one of your goals.

93. If you’re selling a product, it’s a good idea to include price where it’s appropriate.

94. Does my picture feed the consumer’s dreams? 

95. 50 percent of pinterest users have kids

96. Name your boards something engaging, unique, and interesting.

Don’t just name it “tea”. Instead, tea for a hot summer day.

97. Be genuinely interested in other peoples pins.

Follow, engage, and comment on other peoples’ pins.

98. Include a Pinterest pin in every blog post…like this:

If you need help for growing your Pinterest account watch this video

LinkedIn Tips:

99. Inspirational and business quotes do well.

100. Writing your top 3-5 things you’ve learned in business can be an effective strategy.

101. 6-7 PST Monday to Friday or 8 PM on Sunday tends to be the best times to send messages.

102. General articles tend to receive more views, but targeted articles can mean qualified leads reaching out.

103. Most popular LinkedIn in topics:

104. Have at least 10 boards with at least 10 pins.

105. Don’t be afraid to pin peoples’ content.

106. Following and commenting on less established pinners can be beneficial. They’re more likely to follow and engage in conversation.

Email

107. Email newsletters should have one call to action.

108. Shorter subject lines have higher open rates.

109. Update your best blog posts. Sometimes you can even combine two shorter blog posts to create one new one.

110. Blogs with over 3000 words get 280% more shares.

111. Odd numbers often rank better than even numbers (17 best strategies).

Conclusion: The top ideas and social media marketing strategies for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and E-mail.

In this epic roundup, we’ve covered the top strategies and techniques that you can use to grow your business, reach your customers, and grow your engagement and your followers.

Bookmark this page so that you can refer back to it later. Following these actionable tips should provide you with all of the information you need to grow.

Please subscribe to receive an email when I come out with new content, or sign up for my email list for bonus tips that I don’t include in my blogs or YouTube content.

Check out my free 100-minute course on shooting videos for your business.

Or take a look at my ultimate guide to YouTube.

BOOKS

1 The 1‑Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, and Stand-Out From the Crowd

– Allan Dib

2 Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

-Donald Miller

3 Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too.

-Gary Vaynerchuk

4 Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (& Other Social Networks)

-Dave Kerpen

5 Youtility

-Jay Bae

6 YouTube Growth Hacking: How to Drive Massive Traffic to Your Channel and Turn them Into Rabid Fans

-Jeff Abston

7 Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

-Seth Godin

8 The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

-Al Ries and Jack Trout

9 The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users

-Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick

10 No B.S. Guide to Brand-Building by Direct Response: The Ultimate No Holds Barred Plan to Creating and Profiting from a Powerful Brand Without Buying It

-Dan Kennedy

11 The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-by-step Guide to Writing Copy that Sells

-Robert Bly

12 Fill Your Funnel: Selling with Social Media

-Dan Portik and Tom Hopkins

13 Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

-Chip Heath and Dan Heath

14 Brian Tracy Success Series: MARKETING

-Brian Tracy

15 Permission Marketing

-Seth Godin

16 This is Marketing

-Seth Godin

17 Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers

Jay Baer

18 How to Write a Good Advertisement

-Victor O. Schwab

19 Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media

-Brittany Hennessy

20 #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur’s Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness

-Gary Vaynerchuk

21 Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World

-Gary Vaynerchuk

22 DotComSecrets The Underground Playbook For Growing Your Company Online

-Russell Brunson

23 Freakishly Effective Social Media for Network Marketing: How to Stop Wasting Your Time on Things That Don’t Work and Start Doing What Does

-Jessica Higdon and Ray Higdon

24 The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business

-Clayton M. Christensen

25 Passive Income Ideas: 50 Ways to Make Money Online Analyzed

– Michael Ezeanaka

26 Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

-Robert Cialdini

27 Blue Ocean Strategy

-Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim

28 The Thank You Economy

-Gary Vaynerchuk

29. The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself

-John Jantsch

30. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose

-Tony Hsieh

31 Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy – And How to Make Them Work for You

-Geoffrey Parker, Marshall Van Alstyne, and Sangeet Paul Choudary