It’s the end of 2016, so of course everyone is running around making resolutions. I’m sure you have several personal resolutions (mine, for example, are to stop hitting the snooze button five times every morning, go to the gym and to eat more salads). Whatever your personal resolutions might be, there’s also a good chance that your social media accounts could use a new start in the New Year too.

That’s why I have put together my list of 10 social media resolutions to keep your brand on track in 2017.

1. More Visuals

Guess what? The visual age of marketing isn’t going anywhere. With Pinterest’s valuation at $5 billion and Instagram’s at $35 billion, these visual sharing platforms have proved themselves to be business giants. With visual platforms being a multi-billion dollar industry, it’s incredibly important for your business to be making a show of itself with visual, sharable content.

If your business is less-than visually inclined, never fear. There are many simple image creator apps, like Canva, that can turn anyone into a graphic designer.

2. Create Content

Like visual marketing, content marketing is here to stay. By creating sharable blogs, infographics, webinars, etc. you’re not just pushing your product in people faces – you’re teaching them about your industry and how your company can help. Plus, content marketing provides the opportunity to use different keywords to help boost your site’s SEO power.

3. Engage Users

Talk to your fans! Now, this might sound simple, but you would be amazed at how few businesses actually do it. By building a relationship with your users on social media, you’re building a lasting customer. They’ll see you as a confidant rather than a hollow business. It can be as simple as thanking a fan for sharing your content, or sending them a congratulatory tweet on their new engagement. Whatever it is, get your fans talking.

4. Find Your Perfect Timing

Talk to your fans! Now, this might sound simple, but you would be amazed at how few businesses actually do it. By building a relationship with your users on social media, you’re building a lasting customer. They’ll see you as a confidant rather than a hollow business. It can be as simple as thanking a fan for sharing your content, or sending them a congratulatory tweet on their new engagement. Whatever it is, get your fans talking.

5. Test Using Social Advertisements

In today’s social media advertising world you have to pay to play. In the early years of social media marketing, impressions and influences were earned by organically posting intriguing content. Now they are sold to the highest bidder. Companies who are dragging their feet to incorporate paid social media advertising are missing out on a lot of exciting opportunities for their business. Numerous companies have embraced the benefits of paid social media advertising, but there are plenty who remain skeptical. The reality is that social media is rapidly growing, and showing no signs of slowing down, so paying to have a presence on social media is the future. Paid social reaches more people, and when used correctly it can help generate awareness, leads, followers, video views, purchases, and much more. Do some research, test audiences, and discover which social platforms fit your brand and company goals.

6. Make Your Posts Move

Instagram videos, Facebook videos and the popularity of hilarious .gif’s have proven the power of motion pictures in social media. Whether you’re making explainer videos or just pinning amazing cat .gif’s, it’s time to get your brand moving.

7. Use Hashtags Right

Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and now even Facebook all support the use of hashtags. While they can be a great way to find information and people with similar interests, or even to rally behind social movements, you must understand how to use hashtags correctly. Most importantly: #don’t #use #them #excessively.

8. Optimize Posts for Different Platforms

Not all social media is created equal. What works on Facebook won’t necessarily work on Pinterest. Each platform has different requirements for image size and description length, as well as different styles of posts that will work best.

9. Post Less About Yourself

Sure, someone will follow you on social media because they’re interested in your brand. However, they do not want to see tons of posts boasting about how wonderful you are – they already know that! Instead of constantly posting about yourself, try only using 20% of your posts to talk about yourself and the other 80% to talk about things your audience would be interested in. Fans will also be more likely to share useful or interesting information on their social pages, letting your name go further.

10. Master Mobile Marketing

Whether you’re loyal to Apple, or a fan of Android, it’s safe to say that most American’s are carrying around a computer in their pocket. In fact, mobile usage surpassed PC usage for the first time in recent years. In lieu of this, the likelihood of someone hitting your site from a mobile device, rather than on a PC is highly likely, so it’s more important than ever to have a responsive website. If your site’s hard to navigate on a phone, you could be losing sales.

Conclusion:

Only two days remain in 2016. If you use social media personally, professionally, or both, consider changing the way you approach it in the New Year. Your business will thank you for it.