he ever-changing social media landscape can be overwhelming at times. You can spend hours researching the latest social trends and come away totally confused about what to do next to improve your organization’s presence. It can feel like you’re in the vortex of a social media tornado.

To help sort through the noise, I’ve put together this list to help you take your social media presence to the next level.Here are 5 things you can do to improve your social presence right now:1. Perfect your profile. Make sure your profile images are sized correctly according to each platform. There’s nothing more off putting than a logo that is cut off or a photo that looks pixelated. Don’t forget to optimize for mobile with title/graphic safe areas when applicable. Be sure to add a description with contact info and a link to your website. See my favorite guide for below.

2. Conduct an audit. Use the analytic tools available on each platform to understand who your current audience is. Then, note what types of posts are most popular with your fans (what gets the most likes, shares, comments, retweets, etc.). Also research what others in your industry, including competitors, are posting and what types of posts see the highest levels of engagement. This will tell you whether your current content strategy is on point or missing the mark, and allow you to make adjustments accordingly.

3. Define a content strategy based on your goals. Your goals should be the second thing (after knowing your audience) that informs your content strategy. For example, if your goal is engagement, your content should be interesting, emotional or funny and always something your audience would want to share with their networks. If your goal is sales, your content should position yourself as the industry expert in your field and include specific calls to action to learn more and “buy.”

4. Start using videos. All reports show that engagement from videos has far surpassed text-only and even still images. 90% of consumers say that videos help them make buying decisions. Videos are also a powerful way to share your organization’s story, not just your stats. With the availability of Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, and Periscope on Twitter, video content is easier than ever to create.

5. Assign a champion (or champions). This is a great opportunity for someone on your staff, maybe a new hire, a board member or ideally, a volunteer if you’re a nonprofit, to use their love of social media for good. You might even build a team of staff and/or volunteers to help curate content, create videos, and schedule posts. Create the opportunity and see what they can do!Hopefully, starting with these 5 steps will inspire you to up your social game without spending too much time or money.

What have you done lately to improve your social media presence?

• Resources:
  Social Media Sizes Cheat Sheet from Hubspot
• The State of Video Marketing from Social Media News

Top image source.