Companies of all sizes are putting an increasing amount of time and resources into their social media marketing campaigns. But social media marketing is about more than merely having a presence where people can find your brand online. Social media marketing requires you to continually create engaging content that makes people want to interact, comment, and share the story with others.
The right content strategy can help you break through the clutter of social media and engage with your key audiences in a way that will make a difference for your company.
The following tips will help you to create engaging content for social media marketing:
Answer the questions that your audience is already asking.
Social media is a conversation, not a monologue – and chances are, your customers have already started this conversation in a publicly visible way. Do a keyword search for the latest topics affecting your company and your industry. Look to see what people are saying about your company, your competitors, and your product categories or industry as a whole. Is a customer or target customer complaining about a bad customer service experience? Is one of your competitors failing to deliver? Is your market asking for new product features or experiencing difficulties with your product? Look for ways to create content (articles, videos, podcast interviews) that answer your audience’s questions, respond to their concerns, and celebrate their successes.
Give customers a “you are there” feeling.
Social media can be a very intimate medium for companies to use, because it gives you the ability to share as much as you want about the workings of your business. Some good ways to create engaging content include, behind the scenes photos and videos, interviews with employees and industry thought leaders, live reports and Q&A sessions online with people from the company (“Do you love our bakery’s cupcakes? Talk to our cupcake chef about how she gets the frosting to taste so good!”). If your customers love your business and care about what you do, they’ll be interested to learn more and to share the most interesting content with other people. Don’t be afraid to be transparent and take people “behind the curtain” of your business.
Co-create content with customers.
Start with your inner circle of your brand’s biggest “fans.” Start conversations with customers, and ask them, “What do you love most about our product?” or “How is our company helping you improve your life?” Your own customers can give you some excellent ideas for stories to share. Ask people to share their photos and examples of how they’re using your product or enjoying your services – for instance, many restaurants post photos of customers celebrating a special day (birthdays, wedding anniversaries, etc.). People like to talk about themselves and will enjoy being spotlighted. Make your customers “the star” of your brand’s social media story. If you share the stories of your customers, they’ll be more likely to engage with your content by sharing it with others.
