SOCIAL MEDIA
“ Super Fastest .” That ’ s an eye-catcher . Using keywords in the content The keywords should be in the first sentence of your blog , and they should then be in the second and third paragraph of your content and placed a couple of more times in the post .
Word count Blogs should be 600 words . That is not a large number . But what if you have something much more important to discuss , such as a more permanent topic ? Then we need the word count to jump to 1,200 or more . These are often called “ evergreen ” blogs . These blogs have helpful content that is relevant to readers for an extended period .
Keywords in titles and headers Not only should titles be engaging , but your keywords should be in the title as well . Further , break up the blog . Even if it is just six hundred words , have two or three subheads and include your keywords in these as well .
Links in and out It ’ s an excellent idea to have external hyperlinks in the body of your content pointing to , for example , more information , as well as internal links . Internal links point to more information located on your site . Both types can improve SEO .
Quotes are good Adding a quote from someone well known or respected gives the post more credibility , and more credibility translates into better SEO . Why is this ? When search engines change their algorithms ( and this applies to social media algorithms as well ) typically it is because they are trying to improve search engine results for the user . Here is how they see it . The search engines are providing a service to the user . When you search on Bing , Google or YouTube , their goal is to deliver the most relevant information to you per your query . A quote from a respected individual helps make this happen .
Include images . Images improve SEO if you take advantage of ALT text . The search and social media platforms can ’ t decipher one image from another . However , the ALT text tells them what the image is all about . Use your keywords in the ALT words .
But wait … there ’ s more Along with what we have discussed so far , here are five general principles to always follow :
1 . Use active voice . Passive voice is not SEO-friendly . For example , “ everyone was startled by that home run ” is passive . “ That home run startled everyone ” is active .
2 . Use lists and bullets , just not too many .
3 . Keep paragraphs and sentences short . This improves engagement and SEO .
4 . Keep things simple . But if you are having trouble explaining something simply , it often means you do not fully understand it yourself .
5 . It ’ s okay to use pronouns such as “ I ,” “ we ,” and “ you ” in your blogs and social media posts . You want everyone to be part of your team , and using personal pronouns help make that happen . SFM
Robert Kravitz is president of AlturaSolutions , a social media , public relations , and thought leadership marketing firm . He can be reached at robert @ alturasolutions .
* Myspace is still active but has about seven million monthly visits .
** These numbers do fluctuate and are probably higher today .
SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS
“ As sports turf managers , rarely are we around a ballpark where people see what we do on a daily basis ,” said Andy Ommen , CSFM , sports turf manager , Professional Outdoor Solutions , McLean County PONY Baseball . “ They show up , they play , and when they come back the field is ready again . When you post pictures to a group of peers , and receive positive feedback and / or solutions , it ’ s tremendous motivation . For me , Twitter has been a tremendous vehicle for me to share things that I have learned as well as gather information from other sports turf managers on problems , techniques , and ideas . The camaraderie among sports turf managers is nothing short of amazing . Twitter has been a huge vehicle for me to establish connections with peers in the industry .”
According to Brandon Hardin , superintendent , sports turf , Mississippi State University , social media can be a huge tool for educating people about what it takes to keep fields and facilities performing at the highest level , but added that social media can be a very toxic place .
“ The biggest takeaway from my history with social media is do not engage with the negative people ; they will die on the hill they chose to stand on ,” said Hardin . “ I do though thoroughly enjoy interacting with fans who have legitimate questions , because if we don ’ t answer their genuine questions they ’ ll never know – and knowledge is power .” sportsfieldmanagementonline . com December 2021 | SportsField Management
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