Social media is exceptionally useful in growing engagement and gaining new business, but it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a comprehensive marketing plan. Networking channels are perfect for getting the ball rolling, but getting fans to jump from, say, Facebook to your website? That can take some forethought.

To accomplish this, first focus on having an attention-grabbing image (or two) to really draw social media users’ in to your content. Always keep in mind that the typical user scrolls past an astronomical number of links and shares while browsing Twitter or Facebook. Having a great image will cause the scroller to at the very least pause, which gives the post a chance to be read, and hopefully garner a click.

Going even further, allowing embedded images to be posted to socials directly from your website gives readers the ability to share even more of your content themselves, which never hurts!

If you hope to hit a solid number of shares, also take the time to optimize a post for mobile devices, as 71% of users now access social media from a mobile device, and that number is on the rise. For example, are your social media sharing buttons or icons too small to easily tap from a mobile device? When it comes to sharing, you want to make it as easy as possible to share your content, so every little detail counts.

Titles are also a commonly overlooked element in a typical post or share, often containing a bland description of the content itself, or overworked clickbait. Try experimenting with different title variations and styles to get a feel for what works best with your audience. There are also some useful tools to help with this, like the Emotional Headline Analyzer.

Last but not least, use some analytics of your past posts to get an understanding of the ideal time(s) to send out your content. Every business has different peak hours, depending on the nature of their industry and their audience. At the same time, the peak hours are not always the best time to post, as your content can potentially get lost in a sea of other posts clamoring for the spotlight. Try to get posts out just before the main crowd appears online and you should find a high rate of engagement.

Information via RazorSocial.