By Ian Carroll
Social media marketing may seem straightforward enough, but unless your content is optimised, your campaigns may prove fruitless. Creating killer content that connects with as wide an audience as possible requires careful thought.
Firstly, you’ll need a defined tone of voice and a firm handle on your brand’s core values. Next, you’ll need to consider the content you’re aiming to put out there and which channels are most viable for your goals.
Looking for some inspiration on how to optimise content across key social media platforms? Read on for our roundup of the most important tips to remember.
1. Capitalise on Video Content
Social media provides the perfect platform for sharing all manner of mixed media. However, it’s the appetite for short-form video content that has exploded in recent years. Video content is particularly effective when it comes to lead generation. Furthermore, short-form videos shine on social media platforms, where impatient users may only have moments to scan for the latest content.
The good news for content creators is that short-form videos don’t require much technical ability to produce and publish. Pretty much every major social platform allows users to upload videos, with big hitters like Facebook and Instagram supporting live streaming.
2. Embrace User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) and social media go hand in hand. In fact, you can quickly bolster your social media presence by encouraging followers to create and share photos, videos, memes, and more.
The benefits of encouraging user-generated content are obvious. For starters, you don’t have to invest time and effort into creating content yourself. Furthermore, UGC is geared specifically to your brand and curated by an enthusiastic audience.
3. Build Brand Loyalty with Interactive Content
Interactive content is not only more likely to engage your followers, but it will also bolster your standing in the eyes of social media crawlers. If your content is receiving considerable likes and comments, it’s more likely to be looked upon favourably by crawlers. The best way to generate an enthusiastic response is to make your content as interactive as possible.
Creating interactive content isn’t that difficult. You can keep things simple with polls and quizzes, or instead roll out a promotion that pushes for shares and likes. If you’re feeling adventurous, schedule a live stream or arrange a Q&A session with industry experts.
4. Demonstrate Your Industry Insights
If you’re looking to engage your audience, showcasing an intimate knowledge of industry trends is a sure-fire way to do so. Demonstrating that you’re an authority in your chosen industry won’t just endear you to your audience, it will also bolster your reputation as a real authority in your chosen field.
You may already have the resource in place to focus on trend forecasts and editorial pieces. If not, think about inviting guest bloggers and creators to produce one-off pieces for your social platforms. Focus on seasonal trends and important industry calendar dates.
There’s no point investing in a premium piece of content if you publish it days or weeks after your competitors. Even if users aren’t immediately convinced to buy your goods or services, there’s a good chance they’ll keep coming back for more first-rate posts and content.
5. Take the Time to Respond to Comments
Taking the time to read and respond to comments on your social platforms is a relatively easy thing to do. Furthermore, it’s a successful way of engaging with your audience and fostering a sense of brand loyalty.
In many ways, social media has supplanted conventional customer service avenues. Nowadays, consumers choose to engage with the brands they buy directly over social media, rather than wait days for a response via email.
Neglecting queries on your social media channels is something to avoid. It not only leaves the user posting the query feeling disgruntled, but it can also damage your broader reputation. Engaging with user comments demonstrates that you’re a responsible business that cares about the concerns of its customers.
6. Present the Human Side of the Operation
Some brands create social media platforms and leave them largely devoid of content. Social channels present a unique branding opportunity, so ditch the corporate mentality and use them to show the human face of your organisation.
The content you post should be accessible and informal, granting your audience an insight into the inner workings of your business. To keep it personable, consider rotating social media managers regularly.
It’s a good idea to introduce followers to a varied mixture of personalities, rather than a single authoritative voice. You can also think about uploading behind the scenes videos of your workplace itself. If you have more resources at your disposal, a regular schedule of podcasts or video programming is also something to consider.
7. Establish a Clear Tone of Voice
It’s easy to lean heavily on humour when creating content for social media channels. While a light-hearted tone is all well and good when posting memes, you’ll need to rethink your angle when promoting brand values.
Even if you’ve established a corporate online presence already, your social channels are where you can truly find your brand’s tone of voice. You’re free to have fun with things, but just remember to be consistent. Your tone of voice is what encapsulates your brand’s personality and core values.
8. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Likes and Shares
Social media makes networking easier than ever. For fledgling brands, this makes building a brand and establishing connections straightforward. Asking for a like, share, or follow via a social media platform isn’t frowned upon. In fact, it’s par for the course.
Make asking for a like or share standard practice when publishing a new piece of content. This will ensure your content gets seen by as many people as possible and serves as an effortless strategy for lead generation.
Strengthen Your Social Media Strategy with Optimised Content
By now, you should have a clearer idea of the work involved in optimising content for social media campaigns. If you’re looking to produce punchy, captivating content, short-form video is the way to go.
You can take the further strain off content creators by encouraging your followers to produce user-generated content. Folding interactive content into your strategy is another guaranteed way to maintain engagement with your audience.
It’s also crucial you don’t neglect your social audience. If you’re inviting queries from followers, make sure they’re being read and responded to. Social channels can also be used to give your audiences a glimpse behind the scenes. Think about posting Q&As or candid videos to present the human side of your operation.
Finally, make sure you’re capitalising on potential leads. There’s a huge audience out there to engage with via social media. Asking for likes, shares, and tags is standard practice in social media circles.
By Ian Carroll
Ian Carroll is the owner of Digital Funnel, a Digital Marketing agency that specializes in SEO in Cork and SEO in Dublin alongside Web Design. Ian and his team have helped numerous local businesses increase their online presence.
