In the previous articles of the content is king series we talked about writing a good about us page and blogging. Now it’s time to focus on your social media strategy. After all, if you don’t spread the word, how are your customers finding your great content?
So, let’s see the why and what content to share on social media. I think one of the most important thing that you have to keep in mind is to experiment and see what is best for you and your audience. And then just repeat what works. You can also share content that had great engagement multiple times, as you already know your audience likes it.
Why content matters in your social media strategy
What brands usually want to achieve from their social media strategy is more awareness, more website visits and, ultimately, more conversions in general and sales. But sharing something regularly is not enough: it has to be compelling, in order to have people engage with it.
The social media algorithms tend to reward posts that have already some interactions by showing them to more people. So, the more interesting your content is, the more followers will give some sort of feedback on it. The more engagement the post has, the broader the audience who sees it. And, ultimately, the broader the audience, the greater the chance of conversions.
This is why it’s also important to have conversations with fans on social media. So, involve them in your business life, tell stories, ask questions, ask for comments and to answer to surveys. Try to have a dialogue with them and encourage their interaction with you and within the community of followers. This is good not only for your analytics, but also for your image, as it shows the human side of your brand and that you care about you customers’ opinion. It also helps growing your content.
Having a good, informative and useful content is also a sign that you value your fans’ time. They will appreciate your posts and be more likely to share them with their friends. This will make them ultimately respect your business and brand more.
Social media content: some ideas on what you can share
When it comes to what social media content to share you might think that your options are very limited. Well, they are not. There’s a lot you can post to create a page people will interact with. Here are some ideas:
Visuals are more eye-catching and less intimidating than full text posts. Try to capture your followers’ attention when scrolling down the feed with some images, GIFs or videos. Remember, people check their social media when they are bored and are looking for something interesting. This an amazing opportunity for you to provide them with something that entertains them.
To engage your customers and show the human side of your brand, share images or videos related to your routines as well as special occasions. They might be from team building activities, your Christmas party, to introduce new hires, as well as new products. But don’t focus on selling: as we have already discussed for blogging, you are trying to provide value.
Your fans won’t spend too much time reading very long articles. However, if a catchy visual gives them a quick understanding of what the text is about, they might be keener to read or at least skim through it. Their time is limited and they will appreciate you taking it into consideration. An image or video is also a great way to break long paragraphs, making them easier to digest for online readers.
Announce your new blog posts or any other content. But try to be creative, with visuals and compelling descriptions. I also recommend to add a call to action, maybe a question for your fans on how they deal with the subject of your article or ask to comment on it. This helps keeping them engaged and drives traffic to your blog.
Re-sharing your users’ content is a great thing you can do for many reasons. First of all, it shows that you care about them and that you are grateful for their engagement. Secondly, it’s content that is already there without you needing to create it. It’s also free advertising you get and it’s of the most genuine kind, since you didn’t even look for it. Always remember to thank and credit the follower.
Ask your fans to answer a survey on your services/products or a poll on something related to them. As we previously said, it’s a great way to show how much you care about them and your opinion and how much you want them to be part of your decisions. A nice and funny poll is also something your followers might share themselves with their friends, giving you more visibility.
Create a contest. For instance, you can ask people to share a picture of them using your product and to tag you. Whoever gets more likes will win a prize. People can become competitive and you’ll be surprised to see how much engagement it can get. However, this works best if you already have an audience.
Share compelling third party content related to your field. It gives credibility to your business, as you show that you know the big players in your industry. You also want your page to be interesting, informative and useful for your audience. Content that comes from somebody else is great to add value. You are welcome to use it but always credit your source.
You can also post inspirational quotes to make people think and too improve your image. Think about it, when you’re having a bad day, this kind of content can help you feeling better. And if you helped a customer feeling a little better, there are more likely to remember you and visit you page again. For some people, your quote can become a daily or weekly boost.
And now to you, what is your social media strategy? What do you like to share? I’m sure I missed some type of social media content… Please leave a comment below to let me know if you know something I didn’t include! Thanks.