Don’t just be another face in the crowd on social media. A strong online presence can really help your brand stand out and drive your sales through the roof. Posting incredible, unique content on social media will be a breeze with the tips below.
1. Visuals first
Photo, video, or GIF. The visual aspects of a post are what first catch peoples’ eye and determine if they’re going to dive in deeper or not. The caption and other written aspects of a post are important too, but always focus on the visuals first. Anytime you can add a photo or video to a post you’re making, be sure to do so.
And when you are adding visuals, make them as high-quality and eye-catching as possible. Try to use high definition photos, clear videos, and bright colors whenever you can.
2. Consistent branding
You can also help your posts stand out and make sure people associate them with your business by using consistent and clear branding. Anytime there is a text element in a photo or video you’re sharing, be sure the fonts and colors are in line with your brand guidelines. Add your logo, tagline, and other brand aspects anywhere you can. By being consistent with colors and branding, you’ll help people immediately associate your content with your business.
3. Educate, inspire, or entertain
Each and every post you share should do one of these three things. If you’re not educating, inspiring, or entertaining, then chances are you’re not adding a whole lot of value for your followers. If you find yourself posting a lot of content that doesn’t fall into any of these categories, then you may want to scale back and focus on the posts that do.
There are plenty of easy ways your brand can educate, inspire, or entertain. Just a few examples.
- Use humor in short videos to entertain
- Share fun facts and tidbits about your production process to educate
- Share your origin story or the values that define your mission to inspire
4. Treat your followers like friends
Although your social media platform is for a business, not an individual, that doesn’t mean it can’t still feel personal. In fact, you will be way more successful if you treat your followers like friends rather than like customers. Interact with your followers in a friendly, familiar, and courteous way. Express an interest in them, start meaningful conversations, and actually listen to any and all feedback you’re receiving on social media. Not every brand interacts with their followers in a personal way, so doing so will really set you apart.
5. Focus on what makes you unique
It can be valuable to pay attention to what others in your field are doing, and take inspiration from what is working for them. However, don’t lose what makes your brand unique in this process. Make sure that you don’t lose sight of your differentiating factors, which are the aspects of your offerings that you’ll always want to highlight. You don’t want your social media pages to look exactly like those of your competitors: You want people to clearly know what sets you apart after visiting your page.
6. Highlight benefits
Another common mistake brands can make is to focus on the specifications of their product or service, instead of the benefits it offers. Don’t just think about what your offering does in a literal sense, but what it can do for your customers in a more abstract way. For instance, instead of a photographer advertising that for $500 you can get a 2 hour session and 100 pictures, they could advertise that for $500 you can make fun memories with your loved ones and receive photos that will preserve those memories for a lifetime.
7. Go beyond the expected
Finally, while you never want to stray too far from your brand messaging and values, you don’t always have to just “stay in your lane.” Your social media channels can be a place to do much more than simply promote your products or services. Consider expanding your content to include discussions of news that is relevant to your community and education about related topics. This can provide added value to your audience and keep them coming back to your page.
If you’re focusing on visuals, providing value to your followers on a regular basis, and painting your offerings in the best light, your social media channels will shine and stand out from your competitors. The seven steps above can help you keep your social media posts on track and really enhance your brand’s digital marketing efforts.
