If you have a business you want to get out to a wider audience online, you've likely spent a lot of time trying to dig up all the social media marketing tips and tricks you could.. And for good reason, 3.96 billion people currently use social media worldwide (that's almost double from 2.07 billion in 2015).

There's truly no excuse not to be on social media in today's society, however it can be a difficult strategy to figure out if you don't know what you're doing. I have to admit, it's easy to think of ourselves as being able to come up with outstanding social media content every day, but the reality is that we're all human. Sometimes, we hit a creative wall when it comes to planning content that aligns with our company, brand and goals.

If you're just starting out in social media marketing or are looking for a few tips to get inspiration, we've compiled some helpful knowledge to boost your accounts — no matter your skill level, we've got you covered.

Include hashtags to increase engagement

Hashtags are the golden ticket to increasing your online reach. But which ones should you use? Common tags like #socialmedia and #marketing are great, but try searching for less-used ones. Let's keep with the theme of this blog and try the following hashtags.

#socialmediamarketingworld

#socialmediastrategies

#marketinggoals

#marketing success

Those are going to be the ones an active audience is checking out. Top secret tip: Use hashtags that have no more than 50,000 results. That way you know you're using relevant tags but don't risk getting lost in the noise.

As well as using existing hashtags, try your hand at creating your own branded hashtags, like we have. We've created #avanty, #poweredbyavanty and #builtwithavanty. This allows us to track what our followers and customers are saying about our products, services and media. And that's exactly what you should do too.

Use visuals where possible

It's always a good idea to include photos, videos, or graphics in posts whenever you can. You need that initial eye catcher, and a visual representation of what your post is about is a great way to do that. You don't have to spend money on high quality photography or editing to produce quality visuals for your social media posts. There are a number of free services, like Canva , to help you edit and create content yourself. low cost (well FREE) and you get to be as creative as you want. GIFs are also a great way to engage with your audience and adds a bit more of a personal approach that people respond to very well. Oh, and never forget your phone can most likely produce beautiful photos you can definitely use on socials. Look into it and have fun with the visuals you add to posts.

Schedule posts

Scheduling content launches for evenings and weekends opens up a door for engagement that isn't cut off by time zone. That way, even if it's 3 AM in your geographic location, your post reaches audiences around the world.

NOTE: when scheduling posts for evenings and weekends, avoid content that requires engagement from your team. For instance, an Instagram post that invites your followers to "Comment below!" might not be the best idea to post at midnight, when you and your team are not able to engage with those commenting. More on content that requires engagement below.

Post multiple times a day

So not only should you be scheduling your posts, you should also be posting multiple times a day. You don't need to post every hour, on the hour, but up to three times a day keeps your brand fresh in your audience's mind. Don't worry, reposting existing content also counts in the up to three posts a day. Don’t stress about coming up with dozens of new content ideas each and every day, that's not realistic. However when repurposing older posts, try changing up the text a bit and even change the image. This way it looks different, new and makes the audience want to read it.

Engage audiences with interactive content

I briefly mentioned content that involves engagement earlier in this blog, but what do I mean? From Twitter polls to Instagram Q&As, there are many ways to engage your audience and make your company’s content as diverse as possible. Businesses often use interactive content to educate their audience about the latest products or to connect with their audience on a more personal level.

ACTIVITY: Think of ways your audience engages with competitors and how you can add your business into the mix. In the case you are unsure, you can simply ask your audience what type of content they prefer to see. Often businesses put a few options in an Instagram Q&A or poll and give your audience the chance to have their say in what they see on your socials.

Use new app updates to your advantage

Have you tried TikTok, IGTV, Linkedin stories or Instagram Reels yet? If not, we suggest expanding your horizons to include these channels. After all, you don’t want to miss out on your content having the potential to meet hundreds of thousands of views. New apps and app updates add to the ability to diversify your brand and keep things as fresh as possible. Branch out to different ways of getting content to your audience and take note where your audience are. Again, have fun with it. Make those funny dancing videos on TikTok or have a sit down Q&A live - test and measure what works for you and your audience.