Getting your social media post noticed today takes a lot more than just posting a link or sharing a picture. With so many different social media platforms — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn — it’s essential that you not only create engaging, clever content that entices your viewers to click, but that you also tailor the content to each individual platform. Social media platforms are constantly overwhelmed with content, both good and bad, and it takes mastering the perfect post to help your brand break free from the clutter.
Think of a social media post as a TV commercial or a new podcast. You want the content to be informational, but you have to present it in a creative, engaging way to make sure people watch. The same goes for social media posts. It is important to find entertaining ways to get your point across so people are willing to engage with your post, read your story, or visit your website.
Follow the steps below to learn how to create the perfect social media post for some of the biggest networks.
Facebook is one of the largest and most popular social media platforms of our generation, and it’s often used for personal and work life. Businesses share a wide variety of content, including photos, videos, advertisements and promotions. With an assortment of content being posted every day, it is essential that your brand comes across in a way that stands out. Some guidelines to follow when making a Facebook post include:
- Post frequently to ensure your brand is being constantly received by your followers. Posting frequency varies by company and industry, but a good rule of thumb is to post at least once a day.
- Add variety to your content by rotating videos, links, photos, articles and more into your posting strategy. Find which types of content your audience responds well to (and which types it doesn’t) and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Create content that is relatable and “real” — have fun and be personable and conversational with your tone.
- Don’t be too salesy — this is a personal network, so you want to be personable. Follow the 80-20 rule, and only push your products or services in 20% of your posts. The rest of your posts should be helpful, informational or entertaining to your audience. No matter what, ensure all of your content is relevant to your business and industry.
Business professionals worldwide have given success to LinkedIn because it has given them a way to interact on a professional level with peers, colleagues and business partners. Therefore, you want your LinkedIn posts to reflect the network’s business-oriented nature.
- As with any social network, it is important to determine your goal and purpose for using the platform. Is your company using LinkedIn to recruit employees? Customers? Both? Your content should serve your LinkedIn goals and objectives.
- For many B2B companies, posts that include new business developments, media mentions, interviews with CEOs, or your company’s news can attract prospects.
- For the job-seeker audience, posts about job openings and company culture perform well.
- No matter your audience, share relevant information that would help and engage professionals in your industry. Save the cute pictures for Twitter or Pinterest.
Twitter is essentially a micro-blog and is known as the “skimming” headquarters of social media. When users scroll through their Twitter feeds, they see hundreds of thousands of short and simple updates that they can read quickly. In order to make an impact and grab a user’s attention as viewers pass your post, make sure to:
- Present a clear call-to-action in the first sentence of your post and provide a link.
- Keep things simple — don’t summarize the article you’ve attached or give every detail of the new product you’re launching.
- Use photos, video clips and shortened links to stand out from the majority of 140-character text-filled posts.
- Stay grammatically correct — even though your character limit is slim, don’t sacrifice grammar by using abbreviations or all caps; stay professional.
- Try not to use the full 140-character count. The shorter, the better.
- Use relevant industry hashtags in order to show up in hashtag searches.
With attention spans shortening and social media engagement increasing, it’s important for companies to be creative and stand out in the clutter. Being personal, professional and engaging are key factors to creating the perfect social media post that is guaranteed to capture the attention of your audience. Tweak your posts to better fit the feel of specific networks, and you’re on your way to creating some awesome content!
Need help creating and distributing your company’s social media content? Contact the experts at GREENCREST with all of your social media and marketing needs.