Much has been written on the Buffer Blog about social media strategy.

In the last month alone, we’ve covered (in great detail) everything from Facebook Messenger marketing and managing multiple social media accounts to creating remarkable content and the rise of micro-influencers.

One thing that often gets overlooked in all of the detail is a more general approach to social media for businesses and entrepreneurs.

What should businesses be thinking about? What are long-term trends that businesses can feel good about investing in? What makes for truly good social media content?

In episode #65 of The Science of Social Media, hosts Brian Peters and Hailley Griffis cover successful social media for businesses and entrepreneurs. After chatting with hundreds of businesses, we’ve dwindled it down to eight super important social media tips that businesses and entrepreneurs should consider on their way to social media success.

Let’s dive in!

8 Tips to Quickly Master Social Media for Businesses and Entrepreneurs

1. Make a commitment to social media
The first thing that businesses and entrepreneurs can do to find success is make a commitment to social media.

Like any other form of marketing, social media for businesses can be a real challenge. It’s hard to grow an audience, create great content, and increase engagement. All too often we see brands giving up on social media after just a few months.

We’ve found that it takes eight months to one year to really get the hang of social. Not only to get a consistent content stream going, but to figure out what your audience resonates with and what they don’t.

It all starts with planning. Create a social media strategy and write it down in order to hold your business accountable. Your strategy should include a basic company mission statement, content plan and goals. And most importantly, a powerful statement on “why” people would follow you on social media, what kind of content you plan on creating and posting, and what you hope to achieve.

2. Show off your personality
The second social media tip for businesses and entrepreneurs is to always (authentically) be you on social media.

Take a second to think about the brands that you follow on social media…. What makes them special? What makes you follow them?

Chances are that there is something special about the content they post or the way in which they post it. We’re guessing they have a personality and aren’t just brand robots pushing out content.

Creating a great social media presence isn’t only about showing the value of your product or service to your audience. It’s about connection and experiences. The best brands out there share a common point of view with their fans.

One of our favorite examples of this idea in action is Merriam Webster Dictionary. They’re a dictionary and they’re seeing tremendous success on social media.

Read More: 8 Tips to Quickly Master Social Media For Businesses & Entrepreneurs