So you’ve found your brand voice, you’re posting consistently(ish), and you’ve got a solid handle on what to say. Now let’s talk about how to get seen and get results—without paying for ads or dancing on TikTok (unless that’s your thing).
Organic social media is about playing smart, not just posting more. Here’s how to do that.
🔄 Mix Up Your Content Types
Every platform offers multiple ways to show up—and the algorithm likes it when you use more than one.
- Feed Posts: Great for evergreen content like tips, FAQs, before-and-afters, and testimonials.
- Stories: Quick, casual, and perfect for behind-the-scenes peeks, polls, and sharing new posts.
- Reels: Short videos = big reach. Try quick tips, process clips, or a simple voiceover with trending audio.
- Lives: Great for Q&As, product demos, or announcements—especially if you can partner with another account.
- Link Posts (on Facebook): Use sparingly to share blogs, events, or offers that drive traffic to your site.
Pro tip: Reuse one piece of content across different formats. That Reel you made? Share a screenshot in your Story with a “🎥 New reel alert!” sticker. Stretch that content!
📊 Pay Attention to What’s Working
You don’t need a full-blown analytics dashboard—just check your platform insights once a week.
- Which posts got the most likes, saves, comments, or shares?
- Are your Stories getting replies or tap-throughs?
- Did anyone click your links?
Use that info to shape what you post next. If your audience loved a tip post, do more. If no one clicked your link about an event, try a different format or hook next time.
✨ Don’t Be Afraid to Show Some Personality
People want to connect with people—not just brands. Let your voice, team, and values shine through.
- Share a funny meme if it fits your vibe
- Celebrate team wins or client milestones
- Use polls, questions, or “this or that” in Stories to spark engagement
The more your audience relates to you, the more likely they are to remember and refer you.
Sprinkle in Some #Hashtags
Every time you post to Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media platform, your goal is to share quality content that gets noticed by the people you’re trying to reach. Unfortunately, countless posts fall by the wayside, quality content or not. There are simply too many posts for readers to see and respond to, meaning you need a way to help your updates find their way to your target audience. Hashtags help you do just that.
Hashtags are keywords and keyword phrases introduced by the # symbol (e.g., #hashtags). They’re most widely-known for their use within the content of posts on Twitter, but have also been incorporated into other platforms you may be using to promote your business, such as Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram and, most recently, Facebook.
How Hashtags Work
When you include a hashtag in your post, it becomes a clickable link. When people click on this link, they’re then able to view all other posts (within that platform) that have included the same hashtag. People can also search keywords within platforms, turning up hashtag results. For this reason, all hashtags are not created equal.
The more broad the keyword, the more posts that will turn up and, in turn, the harder it will be to stand out. On the other hand, it’s possible to go to the other extreme, using hashtags no else ever uses or searches. In other words, hashtags are a great way to follow, and be part of, a conversation on a particular topic, but they do little good if you’re the only one in the room. That said, it’s natural and fine for you to be the only one (at first) using hashtags for events or products unique to your business.
How To Choose Hashtags
Before you use a hashtag, search it within the platform to see what turns up. If it’s an unfocused collection of posts that yours is bound to get buried in or it turns up few, if any results at all, try something else.
Even if your hashtag is an event or product you believe unique to your business, a search can’t hurt. You could very well discover that someone else is using the same hashtag, but promoting an event or product you don’t want to be associated with. In that case, rethink your hashtag.
How To Use Hashtags In Your Posts
When incorporating hashtags into your social media marketing, keep the following best practices in mind:
- Use hashtags sparingly. One is ideal, two is fine, three is pushing it.
- Include them within the main text of your post, or tack them on to the end. For instance, if the keyword naturally appears with the your post content, you may go ahead and place a # symbol in front of it. Of course, if you don’t care for the aesthetic of this approach, you can tack the hashtag onto the end of the post instead (provided you have room within the character count, if applicable).
- Carefully consider your use of hashtags on Facebook. So far, they’re not only proving ineffective, but harmful in some cases, with zero viral impact. Facebook users expect a more personal experience than on other platforms, which could explain why hashtags may come across as garish within this more intimate context. It’s early yet, though, as Facebook only recently incorporated hashtag functionality. So you may want to do a bit of experimenting with a hashtag here or there on selected posts.
How To Use Hashtags To Discover and Engage
Your use of hashtags should not be limited to your inclusion of them within your own posts. They’re a great way to discover other users who engage in conversations relevant to your business. Search keywords you’re already using, or may be considering using, and join the conversation. After all, the better you get to know the people who use your targeted hashtags, the more likely they’ll be to respond to your hashtagged posts in the future.
If you’d like support for your social media management, CyberMark International can help. Contact Us for details.
