Social media has become a point of pride for pretty much all brands and marketers now... I realized this clearly the other day.
Along with the immense traffic and relationships you can build on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., social media is where brands literally have a chance to show off how well they understand their audience.
Social media is where you tell jokes and build rapport with your customers, subscribers, and soon-to-be subscribers. That's what all those comments, likes, retweets, and shares are all about.
And think about it: if your social pages are a ghost town, then what does that say about your brand? If you think people won't notice that you're sitting at the bar all alone, talking to yourself... you are kidding absolutely no one.
Social media is one of the first places many users will go to do research about you and your brand. Yes, the pressure is on... but don't worry. After reading this Quick Tip, you'll be starting conversations left and right.
Conversation Starters
What the heck am I supposed to share? I don't have anything to talk about on Facebook. No one's liking my posts... Sound familiar?
I hear this all the time when I'm talking to business owners who are working to beef up their social media efforts. They know that social media is super freaking important... they just don't really understand how brands can be sociable online.
That's why I'm going to share a few of the engagement tricks my team has been using to start conversations with users on social media.
Build Some Templates
It doesn't really matter who you are, we all get stuck in ruts. We do what is easiest, or what we like to do the best... even though it's not necessarily the most effective thing. That's why you need to have some simple "go-to" ideas that will help you:
a.) Keep engagement high
b.) Stay fresh
Here's an easy list of fun and engaging posting ideas that will keep you social strategy fresh. Cycle through these on a regular basis and you'll steer clear of boring ruts...
First, there are these simple text ideas that you can use with or without an image (TIP: images drive extra engagement).
Why is that a big deal? Well, in addition to showing the world that you have a good relationship with your page's fans, your brand starts to seep into their news feeds.
From there, your fans' friends can get drawn into the conversation... and you stand to gain new fans.
Share-Bait Badges
If there's an issue that your users are passionate about, use it to help build up your community. Think of it as your job to help users highlight their opinions and/or views.
For example, if you're promoting a gluten-free diet plan, you could make a graphic (in PicMonkey) that says, "Share this if you're gluten free!" You may be surprised by who shares it... and how many people.
People who are passionate about things like to share their views on social media. That's pretty much why they're on social in the first place...
Here's an example of a photo-based post (made in 5 minutes on Photoshop) that got over 10,000 shares in a week and brought in roughly 300 likes for the page.
That's powerful stuff... I'm sure you can agree.
Takeaway
Social media is where users go to learn about you and your company, to get a sense of what you're all about.
They need to see that you're connecting with users on your pages. It's important.
But it also benefits your brand immensely. Social media builds awareness of your brand, which builds relationships, which in turn drives traffic to your marketing funnel.
Got some cool social media ideas to add? Share your tips and tricks on the blog... Leave me a comment!
Along with the immense traffic and relationships you can build on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., social media is where brands literally have a chance to show off how well they understand their audience.
Social media is where you tell jokes and build rapport with your customers, subscribers, and soon-to-be subscribers. That's what all those comments, likes, retweets, and shares are all about.
And think about it: if your social pages are a ghost town, then what does that say about your brand? If you think people won't notice that you're sitting at the bar all alone, talking to yourself... you are kidding absolutely no one.
Social media is one of the first places many users will go to do research about you and your brand. Yes, the pressure is on... but don't worry. After reading this Quick Tip, you'll be starting conversations left and right.
Conversation Starters
What the heck am I supposed to share? I don't have anything to talk about on Facebook. No one's liking my posts... Sound familiar?
I hear this all the time when I'm talking to business owners who are working to beef up their social media efforts. They know that social media is super freaking important... they just don't really understand how brands can be sociable online.
That's why I'm going to share a few of the engagement tricks my team has been using to start conversations with users on social media.
Build Some Templates
It doesn't really matter who you are, we all get stuck in ruts. We do what is easiest, or what we like to do the best... even though it's not necessarily the most effective thing. That's why you need to have some simple "go-to" ideas that will help you:
a.) Keep engagement high
b.) Stay fresh
Here's an easy list of fun and engaging posting ideas that will keep you social strategy fresh. Cycle through these on a regular basis and you'll steer clear of boring ruts...
First, there are these simple text ideas that you can use with or without an image (TIP: images drive extra engagement).
- Fill in the _______
- Multiple choice
- Asking for feedback/suggestions
- Inspirational quotes
- Controversial statements
Why is that a big deal? Well, in addition to showing the world that you have a good relationship with your page's fans, your brand starts to seep into their news feeds.
From there, your fans' friends can get drawn into the conversation... and you stand to gain new fans.
Share-Bait Badges
If there's an issue that your users are passionate about, use it to help build up your community. Think of it as your job to help users highlight their opinions and/or views.
For example, if you're promoting a gluten-free diet plan, you could make a graphic (in PicMonkey) that says, "Share this if you're gluten free!" You may be surprised by who shares it... and how many people.
People who are passionate about things like to share their views on social media. That's pretty much why they're on social in the first place...
Here's an example of a photo-based post (made in 5 minutes on Photoshop) that got over 10,000 shares in a week and brought in roughly 300 likes for the page.
That's powerful stuff... I'm sure you can agree.
Takeaway
Social media is where users go to learn about you and your company, to get a sense of what you're all about.
They need to see that you're connecting with users on your pages. It's important.
But it also benefits your brand immensely. Social media builds awareness of your brand, which builds relationships, which in turn drives traffic to your marketing funnel.
Got some cool social media ideas to add? Share your tips and tricks on the blog... Leave me a comment!
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