A Social Media buzzword I hear all the time is ADD VALUE. But I feel like that doesn’t give you much help. So you probably then look up what to post on social media you will be inundated with templates and ideas, some free some paid for, but how do you know what works for your business?
Recently I wrote an article ‘The Problem With Marketing’ that goes through my concerns with using generic templates and advice when trying to achieve marketing goals, and add value, sits very much under this umbrella.
So let me try and break it down for you a bit and see if it helps. Three types of content typically perform the best on Social Media. They are content designed to entertain, inspire or educate. It’s worth looking through your feed and trying to decide which post aligns with which content types, and I bet you can categorise the most engaged posts, and the reason for this is because these types of posts answer the questions that people want answered.
Let’s take a look at some examples to make it easier to explain:
Example One - The Garage
You arrive at the garage to collect your car after it’s passed its MOT and the receptionist says we are on Instagram, give us a follow. When you get home you look them up and see that they post every day about what they have done in the garage:
This car passed its MOT, call to book yours in
This car needed brake fluid, we did it really quickly. Call to book yours.
Etc
Are you going to follow that? Probably not, there is nothing there of interest to you, nothing there that adds value to your feed.
Take two.
You arrive at the garage to collect your car after it’s passed its MOT and the receptionist says “Your tire tread is getting a little low but they passed, keep an eye on them and bring it back when they get close to the limit and we’ll sort that for you. If you find us on Instagram, we have videos on how you can check this at home.”
When you get home you look them up and see that they post every day to help their customers get more from their cars:
How to check tire treads - call if you need assistance or new tires
How to prepare your car for long journeys
Colder weather is on its way, here’s how to prep your car for easier mornings
Etc
Are you going to follow that? Yeah, much more likely because they are educating you for free to get more from your money! And you will likely refer to the page and the garage when others are looking for information.
Example Two - Home Made Soap
You are interested in locally made luxury soaps and happen to see a post by such a business in your feed:
New Rose is available now - click to buy
10% off when you buy 10 soaps - buy now
I spent this morning making soap - get yours now
This might grab your attention but if this is the only content they are posting, you’re probably not likely to follow.
Take Two
You are interested in locally made luxury soaps and happen to see a post by such a business in your feed:
I spent the morning gathering my locally grown ingredients for a new range of soap bars that have been requested by customers. Come and see the process with me
Five examples of soap holders you can make at home that make your soap bars last way longer
Customer review
These types of posts are far more likely to grab your attention and you will want to follow for more content. Then, when you need your next bar of soap, you know where you are going to buy from.
See the difference? There is so much you can do to add value to your audience. Don’t sell at them, use Social Media to be social and talk to your audience about what they are interested in and how to make the most of your products or services and see how much this affects your posts.
If you are still struggling then I can help put it in context for you and your business and get you set up with a personalised plan for your Social Media content.
Happy Marketing!