Usually, when I’m talking to business owners about social media, they either hate it or are baffled by it. Not many small businesses absolutely love it. Most times the questions revolve around “what do I post?” Here are a few ideas to get the juices flowing to create engaging social media posts.
- Keep your posts light-hearted – If you have an opportunity to make someone smile, please do.
- Communicate with your followers – let them know what you’re doing
- Do you have a success story this week? Share it! Here’s a post I did for a client after they received 100 reviews. We opened a bottle of bubbly to celebrate!
- Did you receive a review? Share it!
- Are you having a sale right now? Share it!
- Announce new products or services.
- Answer FAQs. After all, you are the expert in your field. Don’t let your audience forget that.
- Share a motivational quote that speaks to you. Better yet, develop branded quotes. Don’t know what those are, send me a message. I’m happy to help.
- Go behind the scenes. For one of my clients, I like to post warehouse pics of product going out the door. It shows prospects you are working and the types of products you offer. If the employees are doing something goofy, that’s fun too. Remember, anything to help your audience smile.
- Share your latest blog post – you might get an “atta girl” or you might receive a follow-up question in the comments.
- Do you whole-heartedly support a local charity? Share it! You might be amazed at who else in your social media world supports that same charity.
Sharing is Caring!
SHARE Industry News. There’s a good chance you are connected with other people in your industry.
Reuse older content from your website. If you produce evergreen content on your website, then it never gets dated. I would guess that the information doesn’t change that often. If the information is still applicable. SHARE it. You are also educating your customer at the same time.
SHARE a case study in your business. Do you have a completed project? Write about the nuances of that project. What were some of the challenges? Successes. It’s a great way to promote your business so others can see what you really do.
Do a FB LIVE – share your own tips or observation in your business.
What Not to Post
- Check for grammar, spelling and everything else in between.
- Failing to Address Mistakes
- Getting Angry When You Get Negative Comments (or negative reviews) It’s going to happen. No one is perfect.
- Not Being up-to-date with current trends – certain symbols of sayings have changed recently with the new political or social climate. Either stay away from these topics or research them fully!
- Confusing Your Business Account with Your Personal Account – keep it neutral.
- Sounding Too Salesy. A good rule of thumb when posting is to:
- 33% – education – educate your customer about your products or services. This can be how to’s, pitfalls to avoid and anything in between.
- 33% – company news – share, share, share!
- 34% – product/service –
- Ignoring Comments on Your Posts – reply, engage, be authentic
- Being Active on All Social Networks – Just because a social media platform exists, doesn’t mean you need to be there. If you want to secure your name, then do that. But instead, find your audience. Also, determine what works best with your business.
- Not Making Use of Hashtags – hashtags are used for searching posts with the same hashtag. Use them wisely.
- Putting Up an Impersonal Front – be authentic
- Doing Everything Yourself – create a team or hire someone to help.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed in not knowing what to post. Especially if it’s “not your thing.” I hear that a lot with business owners. The reality is social media is not going away. If your business is not on these platforms, I can guarantee your competitor is. Take some time to brainstorm your own ideas and start today. If you’re still stuck, download these social media tips or give us a call. We’re happy to help.
