Are social media algorithms the bane of your existence? 

Even the best content can struggle to maintain visibility with constant algorithm changes. Suddenly, your reach dwindles, and your engagement numbers plateau, leaving you wondering where things went wrong. 

What do you need to combat this? A balance between tried-and-tested strategies and a dash of experimental content. 

While you understand how your brand can push creative boundaries, we know social media best practices that will keep your efforts grounded. So, try these proven social media marketing methods to grow your brand’s reach and engagement across platforms.

7 best practices for social media marketing

Follow these social media marketing methods to gain meaningful traffic to your accounts:

1. Optimize your profile for search

To maximize your social media presence, start optimizing your profile for search. 

How do you do this? Use niche-specific keywords throughout your profile. Think of terms your target audience would use to find brands like yours. Whether it’s in your bio, description, or hashtags, these keywords can significantly increase your visibility.

Next, include a clear call to action (CTA). Direct your audience to take specific actions like visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, or exploring a new product. A compelling CTA helps convert casual viewers into active followers or better — into paying customers. 

Lastly, maintain consistent branding across platforms. This means using the same logos, colors, and tone so your brand is instantly recognizable no matter where someone encounters you. These small tweaks can make a big difference in making your profile more discoverable and engaging.

Take a cue from MVMT–

They’ve added their business category, mentioned their brand-specific hashtag, and a crisp description of their brand along with their Instagram handle for women. Also, they’ve added a simple yet effective CTA with a link to their website to ease user experience.

2. Engage with your audience proactively

Following this is one of the top social media best practices since it helps build a loyal community and keep followers coming back. It all starts with responding to comments and messages. Whether it’s a simple “Thank you!” or a detailed reply to a question, these interactions show that your brand cares about its followers and values their input. This small effort can encourage more people to engage with your posts, knowing their thoughts won’t go unnoticed.

Damian Grabarczyk, the co-founder and growth marketer of PetLab Co., says, “One challenge we faced was how to bridge the knowledge gap between pet owners and the expert advice they needed. Social media was flooded with conflicting information, and it became clear that our audience wanted reliable, trustworthy guidance. To address this, we brought in experienced veterinarians to proactively engage with our followers—answering questions, sharing advice, and debunking myths in real time. By creating this direct line of communication, we built trust and positioned ourselves as a go-to resource for pet care. This approach transformed passive engagement into meaningful conversations, strengthening both our community and brand loyalty.”

Beyond replying, asking questions is a powerful way to spark deeper conversations. Use polls, quizzes, or thought-provoking questions in your captions to invite opinions or feedback. It’s a great way to understand what your audience likes and values, while also boosting engagement metrics.

Highlighting user-generated content (UGC) is another excellent engagement strategy. Sharing photos, videos, or testimonials from your followers showcases real experiences with your brand, adding authenticity. It also incentivizes others to share their own stories. 

For example, Glossier often features customer photos, encouraging more users to share product-related content for a chance to be highlighted. This approach creates a sense of belonging and loyalty among your followers.

3. Use analytics to inform strategy

This step is essential for sustained growth and relevance. Start by tracking engagement metrics regularly. These could include data such as likes, comments, shares, and saves. They clearly show what resonates with your audience and which posts fall flat. 

For instance, if certain types of content consistently receive more engagement, it’s a sign that you should lean into similar content more often. Look at Scrub Daddy’s Instagram for inspiration- 

They realized their well-performing posts are memes and trending topics. Like in the grid above, the best-performing post is a meme. That’s why, you’ll find a bunch of this content instead of in-your-face product promotion.

Here’s a look at Account Insights on Instagram-

So, take time to analyze audience behavior patterns. This involves understanding when your followers are most active, what type of content they prefer, and even the time they spend interacting with your posts. 

Many social platforms offer built-in analytics tools to show peak activity times and demographic data. Using these insights, you can adjust your posting schedule and content format to better align with your audience’s preferences. However, these basic tools often leave gaps in understanding your audience’s full potential.

That’s where Sotrender comes in. Our advanced analytics platform helps you dive deeper into audience behavior, track key performance metrics, and uncover actionable insights that go beyond the basics. Whether it’s peak activity times or content formats that truly engage, Sotrender equips you with the data you need to make informed decisions.

With this data, it’s crucial to adjust your content strategy. If your analytics show that video posts perform better than static images, consider increasing video content. Sotrender makes it easy to identify which formats perform best and helps you stay ahead of the curve with tailored recommendations for your brand.

4. Exploit platform-specific features

Each social media platform has unique tools which can give you a competitive edge. Experiment with Instagram stories and reels. These short, engaging formats on Instagram and Facebook are perfect for sharing bite-sized content, like behind-the-scenes glimpses or quick product tips. Since they often get prioritized in feeds, they help you stay at the top of your mind with your followers.

One of the other social media best practices is to create a webinar. Webinars provide a great opportunity to dive deeper into topics relevant to your audience, showcase expertise, or introduce a new product. They’re especially effective on LinkedIn, where B2B interactions thrive. A well-promoted webinar can attract a highly engaged audience, providing value while creating a space for direct interaction with your brand. 

Take a look at this virtual summit on AI that garnered over 40,000 attendees on LinkedIn- 

Finally, tailor your content to each platform. For example, LinkedIn marketing might be better suited for detailed thought leadership posts, while TikTok calls for snappy, creative videos. Matching the content style to the platform can ensure your message resonates with users where they already are and also boosts performance.

5. Incorporate social listening tools

Using social listening tools lets you stay in tune with your audience and industry trends. The first step? Monitoring brand mentions closely. This means watching what people say about your brand, products, or services across social platforms. 

Incorporating customer sentiment analysis into your customer feedback strategy allows you to gauge public opinion and adjust accordingly. Positive mentions can be celebrated and amplified, while negative feedback offers valuable insights for improvement. Remember, being responsive to conversations that could be deemed unfavorable (i.e., customer grievances and complaints) shows that your brand is attentive and values customer feedback.

For example, a customer’s tweet about an onion in the cab could be viewed as less than stellar service. However, Uber responds to the tweet in a light-hearted manner.

This further prompted a response from the original poster-

But these tools aren’t only limited to monitoring brand mentions. Tracking emerging industry social media trends is another key advantage of social listening. 

Why does this matter? When you analyze conversations and hashtags related to your industry, you can identify shifts in customer preferences and new topics of interest.

Here’s an example of the recently held VMAs Twitter hashtag-

The # VMAs saw significant interest, leading to brands tweeting about it to engage with and participate in the conversation. Doing so helps you stay ahead of the curve and adapt your content and strategy accordingly. It also positions your brand as a thought leader always in sync with what’s happening in your field. 

Additionally, social listening can help you identify potential influencer partnerships, especially in niche areas. For example, imagine you’re in the apparel business and want to launch ugly Christmas sweaters with your design; you could partner with lifestyle and fashion influencers for sweater marketing. You can even create collaboration-specific hashtags to further your cause.

6. Regularly audit your content

For this step, review past posts for performance. 

Look for TikTok and Instagram trends in what types of content have resonated most with your audience, whether it’s video, images, or text-based posts. This analysis helps you understand what’s working and what isn’t and can let you adjust your strategy accordingly.

Updating outdated content periodically is equally important. Social media algorithms keep changing, and content that performed well a year ago may not work now. Refresh older posts with new information or repurpose them to better align with current trends and formats. This way, your content stays fresh and valuable, positioning your brand as a reliable source of up-to-date information.

Also, maintaining a consistent content calendar is one of the best practices for social media marketing. A well-structured calendar helps you plan and organize your posts, ensuring there’s a steady flow of content to wow your audience. 

7. Stay adaptable in your strategy

This step is non-negotiable for long-term success. Remember to adapt to platform updates promptly. Whether it’s a new Instagram algorithm change, a feature like Threads, or adjustments in ad formats, being quick to adjust can keep your content visible and relevant and ensure you’re not left behind.

A/B testing different content variations like captions, images, or posting times can identify what works best for your audience. For example, test a video post against a carousel to see which format drives more engagement. These insights help you fine-tune your content and magnify its impact.

Finally, keep up with social media trends. How?

• Follow industry blogs
• Join social media groups
• Keep an eye on what competitors are doing. 

This helps you stay aware of changes in user behavior and can inspire fresh content ideas that can set you apart. With an adaptable strategy, your brand can easily pivot and innovate to maintain a strong presence over time.

Holger Sindbaek, serial entrepreneur and the founder of the brain training platform Online Solitaire, says, “In our space, you can’t afford to be passive. We’ve invested heavily in SEO and influencer marketing—two areas that are as volatile as they are essential. With paid collaborations, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, you must know that nearly 80% of brands report higher ROI from influencer campaigns than traditional ads. But it’s not enough to run campaigns; the real success comes from staying nimble. We actively A/B test influencers’ content, shift strategies when engagement dips, and adjust messaging in real-time to align with algorithm changes. This adaptability has been crucial in ensuring that no budget is wasted, and we consistently see higher conversion rates and a more engaged player base as a result.”

Follow these social media best practices

Mastering the right mix of social media marketing methods can make a world of difference in how your brand connects with your audience. 

When you optimize your profile, engage with people consistently, and use analytics to drive your marketing strategy, you set the foundation for long-term growth. Remember, don’t stay married to your existing strategy. Adaptability and using the platform’s tools can propel your growth and bring you meaningful conversations and conversions.