So, for anyone on the outside looking in, social media looks easy, right? Well, that’s the trick – making it look easy while spending the time and effort planning content and tweaking the overall strategy to portray the right image.
Here at Kimble HQ, we’re constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to engage with audiences and build online communities. Here are a few thoughts to help you get the right balance with your online content.
1 – Illustrate your position as a thought leader in the market
Blogs, short tips and links, through to useful industry articles, are all ways to show you know your stuff. Your prospects are more likely to pick up the phone if they see you as experts.
If it’s a very specific product or service you provide, it can seem tricky to find an angle, but there’s always a way to widen your area of expertise to illustrate your knowledge of the bigger picture.
2 – Showcase the work you do or the products you sell
It’s all very well demonstrating you’re an expert in your field, but if you get too high level, it can be difficult for people to see what you actually do. Make sure you carefully plan the balance of high-level posts with what we call the bread and butter, to ground your online presence and stimulate a response. A good old-fashioned call-to-action can work wonders – so long as you’re not bombarding your followers!
3 – Don’t be afraid to show a little personality
This is often an area that clients feel nervous about as they’ve seen many get it so wrong.
We’re all for portraying a professional brand and being careful not to taint it. Beware of cute pictures of dogs, or getting on board with ‘national wear your hair in a ponytail day’, However, your followers really want to get to know youbetter. Putting names to faces and sharing a few well-considered photos and videos really does work well. These can often become your posts with the highest reach.
4 – Plan ahead but don’t get too caught up in what others are doing
It’s always important to at least have a schedule, a plan or a rough idea – taking into account the seasonal nature of some businesses, the online behaviour of your target audience, and lessons learnt over the course of a campaign. However, beware of getting too caught up in what everyone else is doing. There’s nothing worse than a ‘me too campaign’ with no real substance. Always leave headspace to be reactive and to comment on any key news stories.
5 – Engage, engage, engage
It’s amazing how many people focus on the content but don’t stop to smell the roses. There’s no point churning out content at a rate of knots, without stopping to interact with the very people you’re trying to encourage to follow you. The more time you take to give meaningful responses rather than stock answers, the more you’ll achieve.
It’s always worth spending time researching online groups, so that when you have something relevant and worthwhile to say, you can share it with interested parties and encourage discussion. But beware, over-using groups can be seen as spamming, which Facebook doesn’t like.
6 – Set yourself a small (but perfectly-formed) advertising budget
Done correctly and for the right businesses, Facebook advertising can be really effective. Just a small budget, spent wisely, can ensure you’re constantly widening the net rather than just engaging with the people that already know about you.
A simple, straightforward message seems to be more effective than an over-complicated advert. But if the timing’s right, a well-considered competition can go down a treat.
Where next?
Social media is just one aspect of marketing communications, but in these exciting times, it’s a pretty cost-effective one. It’s so important to post regularly, be consistent, and of course, be true to your brand. Don’t be afraid to try something different – you can be guided by the stats and make continuous improvements as you learn what works.
If you would like regular help with any aspect of your social media, or you just need some advice on getting started, we’re here to help.