You did it. You've FINALLY decided to take that giant leap of faith and join the world of social media after reading Emily's rad blog post from last week. The problem is that you don't have the slightest clue where to start…
What is considered engaging content? What do rotisserie chickens have to do with marketing? Why didn't my post get 2,000+ likes? Creating original and relevant content is the first step to successfully engaging and communicating with your audience, but what does that really entail?
Let me be the first to tell you that it is OK to be a little lost every once in a while. (I'm the most directionally-challenged person you'll ever meet). You've already taken a step in the right direction by accepting the fact that if you own a business, most/all of your audience is already on social media looking for answers! So now it is completely up to you to reach out and draw those folks in. Just check out these insane social media statistics (numbers that ACTUALLY matter!) We live in a world that is designed to be social. That's just human nature! The hard part is figuring out the best way to do it…
In my best Steve Harvey impersonation SURVEY SAYS the biggest marketing challenge clients face is how to create engaging content. That is why I've compiled a list of tips and tricks that I personally use when crafting social media content for our amazing social media clients.
Step 1) Research
• Research the different types of content and determine which one(s) best fit your business. Once you've determined the type(s) of content you'll be posting, the next step is to get to crafting!
• PRO TIP: Don't try to do them all at one time! Start with one thing and do that one thing WELL. The important thing here is consistency.
Examples of various forms of original social media content:
• Blogs
• Vlogs
• Podcasts
• Newsletters
• Social Media Posts
Step 2) Crafting
• Content is crafted, NOT harvested. When creating content, you want to aim to do 1 of 3 things:
○ Inspire: This is where your unique voice comes in. Don't use industry jargon* that is going to confuse your followers. You're not impressing anyone. Be helpful! Give them the wake-up call that they're looking for. They landed on your page for a reason. Give them a reason to stay. This is a great way to talk about relevant topics in your profession, and begin to build trust by giving a human voice to your brand.
∙ *Jargon (jar-gon): "Special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand."
○ Educate: Answer your customer's questions! While it is okay to occasionally share light-hearted silly memes; you should be posting relevant content to educate your followers and give them a solution to a problem they're currently facing (unless you run a page that's sole-purpose is sharing light-hearted silly memes, then in that case carry on doing what you do best).
○ Promote: Share promotions and sales that you're having, but don't overshare. Your followers are looking for an escape when they login, and I can guarantee they don't want to be bombarded with 50+ ads for your organic cat milk soap. Think about the content that you like to see online. What drives you to come back to someone's page? Sprinkle it in here and there, but don't make this area your main focus. Leave that part to your website and other marketing strategies.
Social media was meant to do more than become a platform for businesses to just SELL, SELL, SELL! It was designed to be a conversation with others. To build relationships. To show off your brand's personality. If you can successfully bridge the gap between the producer (A.K.A. You) and the consumer (A.K.A. your customers), then you've already won half the battle.
As you begin your social media plan, keep in mind that you should be creating with intent. You want to stay creative while really working to develop a consistent voice that your followers learn to trust. Lean into your strengths so you can highlight the things that make you most-proud. Your social media accounts don't have to be a formal suit-and-tie kind of operation (unless you are an actual suit-and-tie business, then in that case carry on!) Have fun with it! Share your passions and your company's values. Let this be a place where people come to get to know you better.
Social Media Content Ideas: (THE GOOD STUFF)
- Product Highlights
- Blog and Vlog shares
- Holidays - PROTIP: (When in doubt, www.nationaldaycalendar.com)
- Employee Spotlight
- Daily Specials
- Promote upcoming events
- Ask your followers questions!
- Start a poll
- Share industry-related videos (either original content or shared)
- Share relevant news articles
- Something that'll make your readers crack a smile
- Request/Share reviews
- Create posts designed to send traffic to your website
- Promote newsletter sign ups!
- Post highly shareable content
- Get to commenting! (Don't forget that engaging in the comments is just as important, if not more important, than the original post!)
- Share your story
Now mix it up! Don't share the same type of content every single day. Give your followers a variety of styles and see which ones work best for you through reporting and insights. After a while, you'll collect enough data to determine what kind of posts are performing best at specific times/dates. As you get more familiar with reporting services you can start scheduling posts to come out at just the right time!
A good friend of mine once said,
"There are 3C's to remember in your life. Choice, Chance, Change. You must make the Choice to take the Chance if you want anything in life to Change."
This rings true in so many areas in my life, but as a business owner YOU make the choice to take a chance almost every single day. If you haven't made the leap and joined social media platforms; I hate to say this, but you're behind. If you want to see your business continue to grow and change, you've got to find a way to get involved on social media.
A conversation for another time…
KEYWORDS
Don't forget alt text on images!
Google likes relevant content! - Be SEO driven!
Thanks for reading!
~ Kassie