Having trouble keeping up with the constant changes in social media? Do you know which changes can enable your stakeholders (customers, supporters, etc.) to easily spread your messages and reach new audiences? If you haven’t revisited your organization’s social media profiles and capabilities in the past six months, you are likely missing valuable opportunities to connect.

To help you see the forest through the trees, we’ve pulled together quick easy-to-implement tips for the top social media platforms.

1. Set up a Google+ Page
   Last Month, Google+ Introduced Brand Pages. Some are calling this new platform a game changer, while others remain skeptical. One thing is certain: Having a Google+ profile increases the chances that your organization and content will be found via a Google search.
   
   Until this past Monday, when Google upgraded Pages to allow for multiple administrators, it was unclear whether Google Pages were ready for organizations to fully implement. Now, it seems, at a minimum, organizations should create a Google+ account, build a profile and link back to their own websites. Doing so takes little time, and ensures that you claim your name on this new platform before someone else does, while simultaneously increasing your reach.
2. Identify What Works Best in Facebook – Then Repeat
   Ever wonder if the energy you put into your Facebook page is worth it? One of the many changes made by Facebook in the last year is upgrading Facebook Insights. This free tool allows you to not just understand your audience, but measure the number of people reached (unique people who have viewed content on your page directly or via a shared post) and the number of people “talking” about you.
   
   Organizations can track fan engagement on their Facebook pages via individual likes, comments and shares. Insights can also provide a summary of fan demographics and growth during a certain time period. Take a look at the growth of your fan following over the past year. During which month (or week) did you see spikes in growth? What were your communications activities like during that time? Which posts/topics resonated with your fans? These are just a few points to consider when crafting a social media communications strategy, but there are many resources available (see Mashable’s guide for businesses or John Haydon’s advice for non-profits to start) to help you make the most of this information.
3. Update Your Twitter Buttons
   Just last week, Twitter announced an overhaul intended to make it easier for users to follow trending topics. It also promises more appealing organization pages, allowing for enhanced branding options like customizable colors, graphics, and promotional capabilities. More on that in 2012.
   
   But perhaps most exciting for anyone who publishes content on the web are the changes to Twitter’s social plugins, the “Tweet” and “Follow” buttons. By upgrading your buttons, you allow visitors to quickly and easily tweet about topics that YOU define. Visitors are also encouraged to interact directly with your Twitter account. All of these enhanced sharing capabilities make it possible for you to directly influence public conversation with the content on your website.
4. Improve Your Sharing
   What end of the year message would be complete without a plug for sharing? If you have added Facebook or Google+ sharing to your website, but haven’t yet added a META description to each page, you are missing a big opportunity. (What is a META description, you ask? Here you go.)
   
   When developing content you hope others will share, you need to think of what people who view the shared content will see once it’s been posted. When someone copies a link from your site to share via Google+ or Facebook, both applications will pull the title of the document/page and the META description, as available (Twitter just pulls the title). Therefore, the title and META description need to be able to stand on their own to ensure viewers click through and (hopefully) share with others.

However you choose to utilize social media, we hope you’ll like, follow, +1, and link up with JPA to stay current on future changes and capabilities in this ever-changing environment.