We thought it would be nice to follow up our recent ValpoLife.com column, Ten Reasons Your Social Media Marketing Isn’t Working, with some ways to improve your Social Media Marketing. Need some post ideas? Here you go.
1. Be Real
Social media means being social. Think about what makes you click on social media posts and try to recreate those types of posts for your business. Show your followers the human side of what you do — the good, the bad, and the ugly. Followers want to feel something when they look at your posts, so create posts with some emotional impact, whether that be humor, excitement, exasperation. One caveat: avoid political or religious posts (unless those areas are your business) or anything that could cause division among your fans. Otherwise, use your social media to show the real-life side of your work.
2. Have Fun
Social media marketing posts are supposed to match the tone of your business, but that doesn’t have to be dry or boring. You may think there’s nothing to share about your accounting business or graphic design work, but the stories you tell at the dinner table can turn into great posts. Highlight what’s fun about what you do with those funny stories from your day, jokes, amusing encounters with clients (but be nice!), use memes to make fun of the mistaken stereotypes of your profession (cops eat donuts, plumbers need better belts, construction workers just stand around.) If it makes you laugh, let others share the joke.
3. Behind the Scenes
Everyone likes to see the man behind the curtain, so show us what goes on behind the scenes at your business. Bakers covered with flour, stockrooms full of merchandise, stacks of paper on your desk, your lucky coffee cup, the printing press. All of these things are engaging to your fans, who don’t see those kitchens, stockrooms, or workings of your business every day. You may take your office for granted, but we won’t.
4. Make Mistakes
Drop a pan of cookies? Snap a pic. Computer go down? Snap a pic. Up to your rear in mud? Snap a pic. Lose your screwdriver? Let’s see that unturned screw. That’s why we have smartphones. These “whoops!” moments may feel frustrating to you, but they’ll show your followers there’s a human being behind the brand who makes mistakes just like they do.
5. Be Neighborly
Who do you interact with every day? Introduce us to your office staff, the Jimmy John’s delivery guy, the delivery truck driver, the shop owner who stocks your products. Share the love and be grateful. That positive vibe will build good will.
6. Go Outside
Take this one literally. Leave the office. You don’t have to go anywhere (although that’s fun too.) Snap a pic of something that catches your eye and share it. First crocuses popping up by the front door? The construction crew you say hi to every day? At Kinko’s for the fifth time this week? Let’s see them. All inspiration for communicating about your day. Whatever it is, if it makes you feel something, it’ll make your fans feel something too.
7. Highlight Your Talents
Just because you think there’s nothing social about your work, doesn’t mean your followers will agree. Maybe you sit at a desk all day, but you’re really good with QuickBooks? Feel free to say so. Show us the end products of your work. Fantastic looking cupcakes, a finished floor remodel, your dual giant computer monitors, the white boards where your team plots out strategic plans. We like to know what you do and why you’re good at it.
8. Go Ugly
On the other hand, feel free to share what makes your business hard. Have a wall of merchandise boxes to stock? We feel your pain. Fifteen orders on your line? Crikey. But don’t be gross. I don’t want to see a backed up kitchen sink. Still, there’s just something amusing about a refrigerator full of employees’ old leftovers. We all have hard jobs. We get it.
9. Channel Martha Stewart
Don’t think you’re creative? Nonsense. Arrange those wrenches in a circle and snap a pic. A wall of paint cans can be quite pretty. Show us a close-up of carpet samples and we can practically feel the shag. (Kidding.) We love pictures on social media, so give us all you’ve got.
10. Toot Your Own Horn
If you’re proud of it, your followers will be happy for you. Finish a new design? Awesome! Let’s see the rolled up blueprint. The bridesmaids look amazing in their perfectly fitting dresses? Show us. A child smiling after a tooth cleaning? Great job! You won an award? Super! Whatever makes you proud of your work will excite your fans too.