A common mistake that many people make as they're diving
into social media is to limit their content to promotional updates. This is
reflective of the traditional marketing world, but things have changed; now we
build our marketing efforts on trust, engagement, and community.
There is, of course, a time and place for marketing and
promotional messages, but don't limit yourself. Broaden your scope a bit. This
will make your content more appealing and lessen the burden of creation.
What type of content can and should you post?
Adjacent content: It's a pretty safe bet that if
someone is following you they're interested in what you offer and their
interests probably don't stop there. Share content that's tangentially relevant
to your business or something involving common interests of your audience. If
you are a clothing retailer, you could post about up-and-coming beauty trends
or news from a major designer.
Tips and tricks: Add value to the conversation
by sharing content that will make your customers' lives easier (bonus points
for tips and tricks that help them use your products or services).
Responses: Not every update has to stem from
original ideas of yours; you can bounce off the ideas that other people are
already posting. Social media relies on conversations, so jump in and be a part
of them. This is a good way to get your account and brand more visibility.
Non-promotional company information: If your
company does amazing volunteer work in your community, don't be shy about
sharing it! If there's a rather impressive showing at a company party, you
definitely want to share that. Giving a sneak peek into the culture within an
organization goes a long way to building relationships by humanizing the brand.
Job openings: Social channels can be advantageous
when trying to find new talent and publicize job openings. Job seekers are
increasingly using social media as a way of learning about companies and their
open positions; it's a match made in Internet heaven. Get those listings out
there and be sure to highlight the most important ones.
Jokes: This is a tricky one, and it's more of a
branding question than anything else. First, know what your brand is and what
kind of personality it embodies. If humor is not a part of that, you might
avoid this type of post. It can backfire and be incredibly awkward. Always err
on the side of caution with sensitive topics. Once you've made sure the humor
is acceptable, make sure it's actually funny, because a bad joke is just
embarrassing.
Frequency of updates
"How often do I need to update my account?" is a
common question, and there is no right or wrong answer here—no best practice
set in stone. It simply depends on your audience, their appetite, and what you
have to say. It's best to test and see what works best for you and your
audience on each platform.
One universal fact is that social media status updates don't
last long. The half-life of a tweet is around 18 minutes for most users. This doesn’t
mean you should post that often, but that sending an update out doesn't mean it
will remain visible for a long time. Users move on to more recent items in
their newsfeeds quite quickly. So, keep an eye on how long your users are
engaging and sharing something.
Again, it all depends on what is appropriate for your
organization. News organizations or media publications could easily be expected
to update multiple-to-many times per day, whereas a clothing retailer may turn
off users. You definitely don't want to talk just for the sake of talking; if
you don't have anything of value to add, don't post updates just to meet a
quota. But, you do want to make sure your account updates regularly enough to
entice users to follow along.
Engaging Your
Audience
Ask for help: Want your community to help or
participate in a particular way? Sometimes it's as simple as asking. If you've
earned their allegiance by building value and investment into the relationship,
you can ask for survey participation, product feedback, or whatever else you
need.
Keep it simple: Too many options may as well be
no options. If your audience isn't on a certain network, why would you promote
that sharing option on your content? Conversely, if your main focus is B2B, you
may (for example) not need to include Pinterest as a sharing option. Look at
your social audience and match up your offerings with their behaviors.
Cross-promote for discoverability: There's
nothing worse for a user than not being able to find your content. Ensure your
blog is linked to your social properties. Keep all of your profile names the same
across all social channels. Develop and sell a unique value proposition for
each account. Why would a customer need to or want to follow you on Twitter, if
they already follow you on Facebook? Make sure you give them a reason.
Monitor and listen: Monitor social channels as
frequently as you can. Utilize services that will help push notifications to
you so you can ensure you're not missing meaningful conversations across the
web. There are countless apps for Twitter and Facebook available, and you can
set up alerts, as well. Often the admin tools of various platforms will have
this functionality built in. As you monitor, genuinely listen to what your
customers tell you and respond accordingly.
Gamify: People enjoy competition and like being
rewarded for achievements. Do a like and share contest for a chance to win
tickets, a gift card, a free consultation.
Whatever works for your organization.
Social media is a great marketing tool – if it’s done right. Inundating your platforms with
useless information, posts, tweets, etc. is just downright annoying. Be relevant!
If you need help developing your social media plan, contact the experts
at SK Consulting!
