How do you stand out on social media? Regular posts, highlight people, mix it up

Companies that want to stand out on social media need a strategy. Sure, it helps if you've got a person on staff who's a "digital native," but that's not a requirement. Sometimes a photo with a line or two of text is enough to keep a social media page looking fresh.

A strong social media presence can promote the company for potential customers, communicate with the community, praise workers and attract potential employees who want to know what kind of work family they'd join.

Two marketing specialists who work extensively with companies in the plastics industry — Teresa Schell, president and owner of Milwaukee-based Vive LLC, and Greg Hannoosh of Next Step Communications Inc. of Kittery Point, Maine — have a set of best practices they share with customers.

Companies don't have to jump into video-sharing sites like YouTube or TikTok, they point out. LinkedIn is a good entry point within executives' and businesses' comfort zones that can serve to refine a firm's image, Schell noted.

Aim for at least one post per week to avoid having your content get stale.

Hannoosh suggests making a schedule of posts by using the corporate calendar. Consider posts for holidays, he said, or photos related to a trade show, including preparing for the show, photos from the booth at the show and a mention of the technology being introduced.

"You can lay out several months or even a year in advance by including obvious posting opportunities," he said, adding that there are software programs available that will also help schedule future posts.

That calendar also should feature employees, Schell said. Celebrate work anniversaries or promotions with photos. Those mentions can provide stronger links between the company and its workforce. At the same time, the employees will be encouraged to share the post with their networks, which means more people will connect with the company.

"Some of the best posts that get the most engagement usually feature people," Hannoosh added.

Do you sponsor a youth sports team? Support a robotics team? Volunteer at cleanup or community projects such as Habitat for Humanity? Feature those connections to "humanize" your business, Hannoosh said. It lets your neighbors connect with your business, giving them a vested interest in your success.

Tours during Manufacturing Day are an obvious way to demonstrate local connections, but don't overlook smaller visits or volunteer efforts by company employees, especially if your company provides time off for charitable work.

Mix up the message you're sharing so outsiders get a well-rounded picture of what goes on inside the walls, Schell said. That may mean you have a post featuring new technology one week, followed by an update on an expansion or photos from a company barbecue.

And consider a mixture of content styles. Photos, graphics, charts, video snippets and text information can work to vary the look of a social media page.

Not everyone is going to know your company. Hashtags help them sort through thousands of posts to find their way to you.

Schell recommends adding three to each post to expose posts to a wider audience. Repeating simple identifying hashtags — #injectionmolding, #plastics, #compounding or #compounding — helps to increase visibility, Hannoosh said.

Schell also recommends building the follower base by taking advantage of LinkedIn's ability to invite people to follow a company's page.