Social media: it’s a wild, ever-changing landscape. Can your brand navigate it in a way that keeps your image timely and relatable—without pandering or seeming disingenuous? It’s a fine line. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Make it a Habit
Make sure you’re actively engaging. The dead end of a stale, neglected social media presence is a huge turn-off for prospective customers. You don’t have to flood your followers’ feeds with constant content, but keep it consistent and fresh.
Build It Better
As we covered in our last blog, people will naturally just scan your work. Being faced with the dreaded “wall of text” will cause most folks to swipe away, so get smart with your structuring. Use numbered lists, bullet points and headers to easily highlight key information points and format your content intelligently.
Stay on Top of the Trends
Social media trends are increasingly short-lived; we’re no longer in a time where you can sit on an article or video idea for a month and expect it to resonate. You’ll need to regularly check in with what speaks to your audience and act quickly.
Show, Don’t Tell!
Create informative but easy-to-understand infographics. This will give you a leg up particularly when it comes to creating sharable social media content. It doesn’t have to be graphically intricate; most importantly, you should draw on your business expertise and data to create value for your audience.
Tug on Those Heartstrings
Invoke childhood memories with nostalgic throwbacks like references to old TV shows or incredible snacks that have gone the way of the dinosaur. The old “Anyone remember these?” is a great lead-in for creating shareable content.
Add Value to Your Readers’ Lives
Spell out clear, actionable items that solve a specific problem or improve a specific situation. How-to guides, handy tips and innovative tricks will always beat out straight sales content. Informative content has a time and a place, but improving your users’ lives or daily routines will more effectively build brand loyalty.
Consider Video Content
A well-crafted video can do a ton of heavy lifting when it comes to setting the tone for your brand. It’s the easiest way to invoke the emotions you want your audience to feel about your products and services and on top of that, videos have an enormous capacity to go viral.
Show a Sense of Humor
It’s important to share content that will bring your users a laugh, but it’s just as vital to show that your brand has a sense of humor when it comes to itself. Don’t come across as taking yourself too seriously; be open to gentle criticisms and user questions. Everyone has room to grow, and feedback from your audience can provide a wealth of valuable information.
At the end of the day, your goal is to create genuine and lasting connections with your customer base. Create an environment that cultivates two-way conversations, and you’re well on your way to effectively building your online presence. No brand is perfect, but the truly savvy remember to never stop learning.