Using social media (SM) as an entrepreneur or business is entirely different than drumming up a bunch of Facebook likes on your personal page. There’s both skill and art involved with being an SM manager, which is why you shouldn’t automatically assume that your college intern is the best person to take over the company accounts. Issues like when (if ever) to use hash tags, when to post, what to post and how to engage the community aren’t things that happen with sheer luck. It’s easy to think of SM management as the most fun, best job ever, but it’s actually real work that requires the right employee.

There are social media strategies to employ and they’re constantly changing so you need to keep up. Have you ever noticed that some businesses thrive on social media while other shrivel up and die, like-less? You probably know instinctively if a post is “good” for business or not, but beneath those gut reactions are strategies at work. Try out these five successful tactics that every social media user needs to know.

1. Timing is everything

There’s a best time of day to post depending on your business and your target market, so some research is necessary. However, generally businesses do best when posting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon. This is assuming you hold regular office hours and want to reach others who probably have regular office hours. If you operate a night club or you’re geo-targeting consumers in France, you’re going to have to adjust.

2. Don’t try too hard…but try hard enough

Building a social media strategy is kind of like dating. You need to put yourself out there, but you can’t be desperate and fill posts with hash tags or like every single comment. Aim to post on each SM platform about three times per week and you’ve got a good starting point. Desperation is never a good thing, and unfortunately many businesses mistake it for wanting to connect with every single consumer.

3. Make every post count

If you don’t have something nice (or informative, or entertaining) to post, don’t post anything at all. It’s your job to provide actually juicy information to consumers, great deals or at least some good entertainment. Comments and likes are a great form of feedback. If you’re not getting them, there’s a reason for it and it’s time to change your strategy.

4. Use social media platforms correctly

Hashtag use has expanded beyond Twitter. Complete spelling belongs on Google+ and Facebook, and Instagram is reserved for only the highest quality of images. Follow the rules of each platform because otherwise you’re probably going to annoy people and drive away traffic. Spend some time perusing posts of businesses or personalities that you find interesting or effective and see if you can mimic their style. Ultimately your style is a mixture of all the styles you've found effective in the past, with a streak of your own personality running throughout.

5. Choose your platform wisely

There are right and wrong platforms for every single business, so make sure you’re on the best sites for you. Just because Pinterest has exploded in popularity doesn’t mean it’s the right outlet for your plumbing company, but it might be perfect for your lighting fixture business or makeup company. Check out niche sites.