You may have heard the saying, “content is king,” – well, it is! Now more than ever! If your social media content doesn’t excite, engage or hook your visitors, it will wither on the vine – along with your social media sites!
You are probably saying to yourself, “I don’t want that, but I have no idea how to write compelling, engaging and dynamite content.”
Wear Your Social Media Visitors’ Shoes
Read on because I am giving you free information here that you will not get anywhere else.
Wear Your Social Media Visitors’ Shoes
The first step is to wear your social media visitors’ shoes – not literally of course – but try to see what type of content they want to see. How do you do this? Ask questions such as: What do they do for a living? What do they do for fun? What concerns them most? What is their lifestyle or family like – do they have kids, pets, single or married, and what are their demographics? If you don’t know this information think about one of your recent customers and ask what they are interested in? What problems did they need to solve and how did I solve them?
Once you get a clear picture of who your potential clients or social media visitors are, you can start creating content that will “hook” them in and get them engaged by sharing, liking, connecting, following or commenting on your information.
Ready, Set, Go – Write!
Here are your next steps to dynamite content:
Develop content categories. Now that you know what your potential customers or social media visitors want from you, think about your content in terms of categories.
For example, I have a client, Katherine Forsythe who is a coach, author and workshop leader for women in their mid-life – 50 years old and older. She inspires women as they deal with body and emotional issues related to mid-life.
Katherine Fostythe’s posting categories are:
• Positive Quotes: Post a positive quote from the internet or one of your own.
• Your Blog Articles: Post a “hook” statement with a link to your blog (try to include a picture in your blog article each time, if possible) to lead your target audience to read it and ask for comments.
• Promote Your Own Events, Workshops and Seminars: Post an announcement about your event with information on it.
• Or, post pictures after the event with something about it so your social media followers or liker’s will benefit from the information and you get to build your credibility and awareness at the same time.
• Outside Promotions: Say something positive or recommend a product, blog, service or something that is complimentary to your business. They can be a reciprocal Facebook or Twitter connection, a professional you know or other type of recommendation. Link to their website, blog or other type of information to your post.
• Ask Intriguing Questions about health, feelings, physical body changes, events in their lives: Ask a question pertaining to body image, health, or other topic to get your liker’s or followers to engage with you. Put a picture, if possible, with the question to attract their attention. Always ask them to comment because they won’t do it until you ask them! Or, you can make up a question to ask and say, “Susan of San Francisco recently asked me this question…” And, then answer it.
• Katherine Forsythe’s promotions (remember the 80-20 rule): Promote your products or services with a link to the page on your website where they can purchase it.
o Post a product or service testimonial: This is a great way to encourage liker’s and followers to buy your products or services.
• Media Interview Posts or Tweets: Tweet a link or make an announcement on Twitter and on Facebook when you will be on TV or the radio to get people to listen or watch your interview. Offer a time afterwards – for 30 minutes or an hour – where you will take their questions.
• National News Articles or blog articles: Articles, for example, on women entrepreneurs, how a woman started a business from nothing, achieved a goal, did something wonderful for charity that helped thousands or some other spectacular thing. Post a link to an article about a top 50+ woman that is a celebrity, sports figures, top selling author, executive of Fortune 1000 companies that address issues relating to their success and challenges related to midlife and beyond.
• Tips and How to’s: About body image, intimacy, sexuality, dating, maintaining long term relationships after 50, or other positive information that would be of interest and helpful to women over 50 regarding body image. This also includes any tips to rejuvenate on the weekend.
• Kat’s Quotes: Any words of wisdom that you can bestow upon women that are over 55 years old and are seeing their bodies change in a less than positive way.
Once you have these content categories, it is important to create a plan or even a calendar with them. For example, Tuesdays could be “tip day”, or Thursday’s could be article or share day, etc. content needs to excite and hook your prospects/visitors into engagement with you!
Don’t Forget the “Social” in Social Media!
An additional category that many folks forget about is interaction with others. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. is very much about interacting and building relationships with others and reciprocation. Much like you are having a conversation with someone in person – you talk and they talk – it’s a 2-way street. Same with social media. It’s imperative that you like other people’s business pages, like their comments, make a comment about a post (when appropriate and when you have something to say) – they will return the favor!
This will build engagement and interaction on your page resulting in more likes, followers, connections and engagement and thusly more sales!
Remember, in social media content is king, so make sure it attracts and compels others to like, follow, link, connect and engage with you. If you follow this blog information I promise you that you’ll have dynamite posts on your social media sites without blowing your top! Thanks!
Do you have anything to add or questions? Don’t be shy – comment now! Thanks!
My next blog will be based on questions that you ask me regarding creating content for your social media sites and/or blog. Please email me your question at: diane@youngatheartcommunications.com. I am looking forward to hearing your questions. Thank you.
