Do you struggle with creating or curating content for your social media platforms? For some business owners, it can be a challenge. They aren’t sure where to start, and they are told that they can’t talk about their business. This is true to an extent. You can sell your business on social media, but it needs to be done in a slightly different way and can’t be in your face marketing like people are used to. Your customers and community expect a different experience on social media than they do watching TV, reading the newspaper, or listening to the radio, even when these traditional experiences are online.
The bulk of your content should be engaging and relevant to your customers and community. The trick is to think about your customers like they are your friends or family in the sense that when you are with friends or family, you all share stories, information or jokes that you think they will enjoy. You share something that will make them, smile, laugh or think, something that will start a conversation.
Have you ever met someone at a party or had a friend who would only talk about themselves? It's very unpleasant and that's how it can come off if all you do is talk about your brand on social media. You want to have a two-way conversation.
The best conversations start from stories or questions based on experiences. It was studied and reported by Dr. Leaf Van Boven that we get more pleasure out of experiences than materialistic purchases, which makes sense because experiences resonate and stay with us for a very long time.
What's better "I went on vacation and watched the sun set over the pacific ocean." or "I bought a TV at Target over the weekend."
ActorsFCU, a credit union that services entertainment professionals working on Broadway posed the question on their Facebook page "What was your first Broadway Show?" This struck a very big chord with the Facebook fans, getting over 200 comments and 30+ shares. The reason this was successful is that ActorsFCU was really talking to the members on a personal level and tapping into their personal experiences. An experience, in fact, that was very fundamental in their career path.
By sharing content that you think your audience, community, and customers will like and relate to, it shows that you care, and understand them. It also adds a human element to your company and allow you to engage your customers and give them a reason to participate. It can take some time to figure out what your customers will really like but once you do you will be well on your way to building a strong social media presence and community.
For more social media tips sign up for my newsletter.
By: Max Weinstein
