It’s no surprise that social media sites are jam-packed with content and data. Often times, this is because people have so many friends and followers on sites like Facebook and Twitter. So, how can you break through the content -clutter to get your friends, fans, and followers to really pay attention to what you’re saying? These tips are great for anyone looking to brand themselves and be heard: small businesses, large businesses, and even individuals trying to become digital influencers.
Note: For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to refer to anyone you are connected to on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) as a “follower” and anything you put onto social media (Wall Post, Status Update, Tweet, etc.) as a “post.”
Define your brand
The first step is to define what you are offering your followers. Do you want to be the one they come to for the latest sports news? The latest tips and tricks for blogging? The hippest fashion trends? The newest music you might not have heard before? This is often easy to figure out because it stems for your passions and interests.
Once you’ve discovered what your offering is, commit to it and stay committed. Your followers value your opinion about your offering and the moment you start to stray from what they expect of you, you’ll lose them.
Always monitor and respond
You’ll want to stay up to date on discussion that is generated on your posts. After some analysis, you’ll realize themes that are consistently popular. This should give you some ideas for future content to share and how to remain interesting to your followers.
Additionally, responding on an individual basis as best you can will show that you appreciate your followers and aren’t simply trying to gain something from them. If you’ve been on Twitter before you’ll that fans always love it when a celebrity Retweets or @Mentions them. It’s okay, go ahead and make their day!
Keep it interesting
Nothing gets skipped over quicker on social media than a boring, repetitive, and unoriginal post. There are so many ways to add some life to what you share. Rather than posting a paragraph about something, for example, post a link to another article with a short description of why your followers will find value in it. This makes you seem knowledgeable and simplifies the process for your followers.
Also, maybe you’ve noticed that you’ve posted a lot of articles or linked to other blogs lately. Try throwing in an interesting YouTube video to give some variety to your offering. Content based around current events is also a great way to stay interesting and relevant. Basically, try to surprise your followers to keep them coming back for more!
Valuable content
Along with keeping it interesting, your followers will appreciate highly valuable content. Just like you, your followers are trying to brand themselves to their audience. If you can position yourself as a credible resource, your followers can advertise who they are by sharing your posts. Not only can this ultimately build your audience, but it can also cement you as a reliable supplier of valuable content.
Consistency works
You’re in charge of finding the right amount of content that doesn’t irritate your followers or make them forget you. I’ve discovered a user on Twitter that is great for finding marketing content. But, in order to do so, I have to search through over twenty of their daily Tweets that link to other sites. Their Tweeting might be a little excessive. Find the happy medium between zero and annoyance.
Simplify
It isn’t a shocker that today people have short attention spans. Try visiting a college classroom and counting how many people aren’t on a computer, cell phone, or some other digital device while simultaneously “paying attention” in class.
The point I’m trying to make is that people prefer to read messages that are shore and concise. The quicker you get to the point and give them benefit, the more likely they will read and share your post.
Try a different medium
Facebook and Twitter are the most popular social networks, but that doesn’t mean they are correct for everyone. Perhaps, the audience you’re trying to connect with finds Facebook to be “too young” and Twitter to be “too chaotic” for them. Maybe, a full-length blog or LinkedIn is more their style. With a little research and a good intuition into the way your audience thinks and feels you should be able to find a medium that works.
You can also port your posts between different social networks. Try to expand your audience by sharing blog posts to Twitter and Facebook.
