Executive Tips

How to Be Heard in Social Media (Hint: Timing is Everything!)

Social media is just that — social — and it involves much more interaction than traditional media. According to Dan Zarrella, HubSpot's social media scientist, a major trend in social media research is contra-competitive timing: strategically communicating when there is less "chatter" to interfere with your message.

With timing in mind, here are some tips to help make yourself heard in various social media venues:

1. Twitter

It's better to tweet later in the day and later in the week, when retweet (RT) activity is highest. To find out when you are most RT-able, go to tweetwhen.com. Additionally, don't be afraid to tweet more often. People follow so many other people on Twitter that your content could be gone in a matter of seconds. Keep tweeting to stay on their radar!



2. Facebook


Since people generally follow fewer friends and businesses on Facebook than they do on Twitter, it is important to monitor how often you post. You don't want to crowd your Facebook content, because people are less likely to read it. Posting every other day, especially in the morning, can generate the most "likes" and therefore the most interest.



3. Blogs


Blogs typically have a much narrower audience than Twitter and Facebook, and you have to understand your audience's reading behavior in order to know the best times to post content. People generally read blogs on Mondays and in the morning. They are also more likely to comment on weekends, when they have more free time - so you can see how this ties into the contra-competitive timing idea I mentioned earlier!



4. Email


Send your email earlier in the morning, when recipients are more likely to read it as they go through their inboxes. But, don't worry if you don't get an immediate response. People generally have more time on the weekends, so they may be coming back to your email then. Monitor your open rates, bounce rates and comment activity for the first full week to be sure you're including those weekend readers!



For more information about this topic, watch HubSpot's webinar.

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