Monday 28 July 2014

Natural Social Media Marketing + 50 Content Ideas!


I have had many a client mention to me that social media marketing is harder than they thought and they are getting very little results. They’ll post and post but get little likes or retweets or favorites or comments, making it tough to justify all the work!

I completely understand. Marketing can be pretty tough, not to mention time consuming and when there is little return it’s hard to keep pushing on.

We update our Facebook page with our latest blog post including a well drafted description of the post and “Come check it out at [insert link here].” We give a short snippet of the post on Twitter with a few different hashtags and the link. We pin to Pinterest like nobodies business. Yet we’re still not getting the results we need.

But aren’t you already posting on Facebook regularly about work and family? And aren’t you Tweeting about your favorite TV shows? And aren’t you pinning recipes you want to try out?

You already know how to use social media regularly and naturally, now you just need to apply those same principles to your blog or business! Social media marketing doesn’t have to be so hard- just quit stressing about it and have fun!

Speak to your fans like you would your friends!
 

There’s no need to edit your posts five times or include millions of hashtags or keep it short and on point. Speak naturally! Use the exclamation points and filler words and stupid puns. Speaking like a friend encourages trust. You come off as more approachable so fans are more likely to join in the conversation as they feel you’ll genuinely care about their comments.

Avoid selling!
 

Yes, sometimes it’s a bit necessary to promote your business or advertise a sale. But that doesn’t mean you need to sound like a car salesman trying to dig into their pockets. Use that natural friendly voice and tell everyone how excited you are about this discount and that you love discounts and that you found a great discount on a great pair of shoes this weekend but back to the discount- it’s awesome so you should buy now if you were thinking of buying! See?

Just be natural and approachable. If it sounds like it would be on an infomercial don’t say it (unless you’re being funny). “Hurry in while this offer lasts!” “But wait! There’s more!” Don’t do it. The minute you start selling, you start alienating your fans.

Post regularly!
 

Don’t just show up in your fans’ news feeds when you want them to buy something. Always remind them you’re around and ready to help them! Be the friend that is always there, not just there when they need something from you. I always encourage posting AT LEAST once a day, but the more the merrier (considering Facebook won’t even show all your posts to your fans anyways). Have a good variety of topics and types of posts to change things up and keep people interested.

Engage!
 

Don’t just post your recent blog post and call it good. Ask a question so your readers are prompted to respond! And when they respond, engage! Talk back and keep the conversation going! Point out similarities between comments so you can introduce your readers to each other. Answer their questions. Help them with their problems. Laugh about how you do the same weird things. Your readers are doing you a huge favor by participating, so be gracious and interact with them.

Share everything!
 

Your Facebook page is not just a place where you post blog posts and advertise giveaways and announce sales. It’s where you create community! And no community starts with “Enter the giveaway to win $20!” It starts with sharing fun stories and finding things you have in common and asking questions and listening to answers. Use your social media platforms to let your community get to know you and your business at a deeper level so they can truly connect with you!
Need some ideas to keep your content calendar chock full of engaging and interesting topics that you’ll enjoy posting?

Here’s 50 ideas for content you can share on your social media platforms or blog!
  1. Past work
  2. A favorite blog of yours
  3. The food that powers your work day
  4. The story of how you got started
  5. Someone that inspires your work
  6. How you manage your family and your work
  7. Shows you watch while you work
  8. Products that go with your brand
  9. Links to thought provoking articles
  10. Your goals and dreams
  11. Client testimonials
  12. Behind the scenes of projects you’re working on
  13. Your favorite cafes to work at
  14. A book you’re reading
  15. How your childhood has effected your work life
  16. What your family thinks of your job
  17. Art you have displayed in your workspace
  18. Passion projects you’re working on
  19. A favorite quote
  20. What you wear while you work
  21. A picture of you and a client at a meeting
  22. How you stay organized
  23. Your favorite office supplies
  24. How you celebrated a launch
  25. Work from high school or college days
  26. What job you wanted as a kid
  27. Your very first (and likely embarrassing) blog post
  28. Old logos/headers
  29. The greatest thing about your week
  30. The funniest comment you ever got
  31. The playlist you listen to while you work
  32. How messy your house was during launch week
  33. The wallpaper on your computer/phone
  34. A typical day in the life
  35. How you get energized
  36. Your favorite pin of the week
  37. Someone you love following on Pinterest/Twitter/Instagram
  38. Newsletters that brighten your inbox
  39. Happy National [Fill in the blank] Day
  40. A teacher you loved and lesson they taught you
  41. Things your grandparents say about your blog
  42. Ways you get over a long day
  43. Your drink of choice while you work
  44. Your favorite websites
  45. Your favorite tools for your business
  46. A random helpful website you discovered
  47. How you get inspiration
  48. How you felt about your first mean comment
  49. Great small businesses you’ve worked with
  50. The most popular post of the month
Please read original article here

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