Social Media is one very intimidating aspect of marketing that technologically challenged entrepreneurs continue to find overwhelming. The truth is, Social Media does not need to be so technical to begin with. It should be more social as the name suggests. Think of Social Media as a way to let your customers “in” on how your brand thinks and how and why it functions to serve a need.
Social media has a lot more to do with branding than it does technology. If you start with that fact then perhaps you can stop feeling overwhelmed. Think of it as your own newspaper. You have to publish something on a regular basis – daily, bi-weekly, weekly, or monthly. You have to give your clients enough content to read, inspire and motivate with intent to inspire brand loyalty. Newspapers have different sections including current events, lifestyle, sports, politics, classified ads, celebrity news and more! How can you deliver a well-rounded branding message using your social media as a “newspaper” for your clients? What kind of content will this “newspaper” deliver?
This is why social media is more about branding than it is technology. Don’t get me wrong, once you get used to the idea of posting consistently, there are plenty of technological aspects that you can learn to measure the success of your efforts and/or automate some of your content. If you consider yourself a “newbie” then let’s start with understanding how you can leverage your social media to your advantage.
First thing’s first! Social media is not a place for hard sell. People are quickly turned off by that. People generally do not like to be sold but they are ready to buy something they believe will make them feel good, look good, or make life more efficient. As an entrepreneur who relies on sales, you can use social media to inform, educate, inspire, and motivate your potential existing and potential customers of why they should choose your brand. Is it environmental friendly? Is it better quality? Better price? Locally made? Whatever the reason might be, it is your duty to communicate that information in several different ways. I once heard that an average person has to receive the message seven different times for it to register. If you have a message, create seven different ways of delivery and utilize different social media channels.
I have listed 21 different ideas you can adopt to help activate your social media pages. Remember to post when you think your customers are most likely browsing on their phones. Before work, during breaks, after work and before going to bed are generally the best times.
- Research any national holidays and participate in a trending conversation about it. Quirky Holidays like Backwards Day or Dark Chocolate Day also make interesting post topics. Make it relate back to your brand. If you are selling dessert then jump on the bandwagon of strawberry days, ice cream days, or dessert days by all means!
- Quote any famous thinkers, authors or entrepreneurs. Post a photo of them and tell your followers how you can relate to the quote. Did that person or quote inspire you or help you take a big leap in life? Your followers want to know.
- Share more information about the functionality of your product or service. Share something most people may not know about what you sell. If you sell cupcakes, perhaps you use interesting ingredients? If you sell any hardware, maybe your customers need examples of when it could be useful.
- Post positive reviews from your clients and thank them for taking the time to share their experience. Most people love to be featured… with their permission, of course.
- Join in on any hot topic trend and share your thoughts as it relates to your brand personality. Is it the Grammy’s? Super Bowl? Halloween?
- Share any useful information from credible sources like Forbes, Entrepreneurs, Business Insiders and etc… Was there a recent statistics about women who drink coffee every day? Share what you find interesting!
- Weigh in on any current events but never lose the essence of your brand in the process. Most brands stay away from political opinions but others are very outspoken. For example, GQ has been very vocal about their opinion of President Trump.
- Tell your followers stories about your humble beginnings or about how you thought of creating a product or service. People love to know more about the “how”.
- If you author a blog, you can repurpose some of your old content and add quotes from your blogs to a stock photo or any photos you’ve taken at your own events.
- Post live videos at your events. People want to see what happens behind the scenes.
- Repost any content from your followers. It will make them feel special and it will give you a chance to showcase one of your customers. Engage them in conversations!
- Spice things up by using apps to edit your videos or create GIFs or “Boomerangs”.
- If you are on Instagram, try to use the same filter to create consistency with the quality of the photos that you post.
- Take photos of your products in the most creative setting. For example, if you sell jewelry, take photos of your jewelry next to a Starbucks cup, on a baby, in a garden, or hanging on a branch of a tree.
- Participate in hashtag conversations like #TBT (Throw Back Thursday) or #TGIF.
- Share random cute photos just to grab attention and offer something different on your timeline (i.e. cats, dogs, and babies).
- Create a contest and encourage your followers with a great incentive to participate and engage in this contest.
- Ask you followers for their opinion relating to any current issues, your brand or your product. Even a simple voting request can really engage your followers. Ask them whether you should buy a red couch or a white couch. Ask them which name sounds better.
- Share new information on anything. It can be about your product or something you saw on TV or read on the newspaper?
- Take photos at events you attend and share it with your followers! Keep in mind that you should never share bad, blurry, and dark photos. Always polish them with an app. Click here to view my recommended apps.
- Instead of posting flyers of your sale, post your product and use the content space to share the message about the sale. Facebook is very strict about your graphics only having 20% text. The less text on your graphic, the better.
I hope these 21 tips can help you finally create content for your social media pages. Maya Angelou once said that “you never run out of creativity because the more your use it, the more you have!” Don’t worry about running out of ideas. As soon as you open that door, more ideas will flow! Best of luck!
Please let me know if these tips help you in any way! I would really love to know. Connect with me on Instagram or Twitter: @sweeney_mae.
Mae Day Marketing 