"If you find something that works once, do it again. A lot of times our own audience doesn't catch on the first couple of times we do something so why not try it a few more times. It's sort of like that saying, 'tell the audience what you're going to say, say it, and then tell them what you've said.'"

That quote about social media comes from Joie Healy, senior manager of social media communications at Cisco, in a good Q&A on the FIPP site. Healy manages the social media team and produces content for Cisco's Technology News site as well as other corporate communications channels. 

Here are more social media tips from Healy, Amanda MacArthur of SIPA member Lantern Content Marketing Adventure Company, and Eric Siu of Social Media Today:

Don't overthink. "I sometimes believe we overthink things and instead need to take a step back and look at the content we, ourselves, are engaging with on social," Healy said. "If the content doesn't make me want to stop and pause while scrolling through my feed then why would anyone else stop and pause?"

Think of ROI in a different context. "The ROI of social media is SEO," said MacArthur. "Sure, retailers make a ton of money through social channels and even a few major magazine publishers, but the main return on your investment is that the articles you promote will rank higher and send more targeted traffic when they do."

Have a strategy in place. MacArthur uses a "12x12x12" strategy. For each new post, her team will write 12 unique social posts in 140 characters or less. One post might invite the user to comment, another might tag someone mentioned in the article, and another might simply just be the subhead. "We schedule those posts out on Twitter once per day for the first 12 days, and then one per month for the next 12 months," MacArthur said. "On Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest, we schedule on the first day, six months later, and sometimes again 12 months later."

Get the most out of your best content. "Whenever we have a popular post that stops sending traffic, we run it through the 12x12x12 again and it almost always pops right back up in search results," MacArthur added..

Take chances! "No matter if you are a tech company, B2B company or consumer company, your audience always engages with great content," Healy said. "Images and great storytelling are always key so remember to take chances and continue to push the limits."

Ask a question, writes Siu. "...one of the best ways to get your social followers talking is by asking them a question directly. Keep in mind, though, that the questions you ask don't need to be business-oriented. People who visit a brand's social media page aren't always there to immediately convert—they often stop by to see what your brand is up to and if there are any cool contests or discounts.

Share case studies demonstrating your company's value. "Case studies that show a particular success story that a customer experienced can help build more credibility among your audience," Siu writes. "In fact, some businesses publish in depth case studies and customer success stories as their entire content strategy."

Try Facebook Live. A few months ago I wrote about the success Donna Jefferson had with Facebook Live to the tune of 3,000 clicks and 803 views. "Facebook is doing a great job reinventing itself; right when you think they are out of the game they come right back," Healy said. "I think Facebook Live [was] a great addition, and I'm excited to see what is next."

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Ronn Levine began his career as a reporter for The Washington Post and has won numerous writing and publications awards since. Most recently, he spent 12 years at the Newspaper Association of America covering a variety of topics before joining SIPA in 2009 and SIIA in 2013 as editorial director…