Your brilliant ideas only matter if they reach the right audience.
That’s why successful companies embrace social media to tell their brand story – and inspire their audience to share it with others. You don’t have to be a Kardashian or Jenner for your content to go viral. You, too, can expand your brand reach, engagement and lead generation by creating highly shareable content.
Use the following best practices to create irresistible content your audience will gladly pass along to others.
The Basics: Telling Your Brand Story
1. Regardless of the social platform, be memorable by prompting readers to feel something, then act on that feeling
2. Keep your core story constant – and your personality and brand identity, too
3. Consistently answer “Who am I?”
4. Make your content fun to read. Share something funny, ridiculous, clever, dramatic, informative or heartwarming
5. Keep your copy simple; the shorter the better
6. Be human and conversational
7. Be charming and show you care about readers as individuals (vs. customers)
8. Make the design inviting to look at
10. Remember your design must be responsive for mobile
11. Join conversations and respond to what others are saying about related topics
[RELATED: 5 Ways to Tell Your Company’s Story]
LinkedIn Tips
12. Remember LinkedIn is ideal for B2B marketers whose audience is hungry for information
13. Find an edge with creative, smart ways to make your content indispensible to your target
14. Offer a thoughtful, welcome breath of levity in a serious environment
15. Be concise
16. Use a personable yet professional tone
17. Add questions and links
[RELATED: Position Yourself as an Expert]
Twitter Tips
18. Keep it conversational: Consumers want infotainment, not information
19. Use the search engine to find people who are talking about topics related to your business
20. Add perspective, humour and context to their conversations
21. Get creative, have fun and experiment with creating content on the spot
22. Be yourself, nimble and authentic
23. Keep your content less than 140 characters, friendly and personable
24. Include links, hashtags, @ replies, retweets and questions
[RELATED: CEOs’ Top 10 Twitter Topics]
Facebook Tips
25. Before you dismiss Facebook for your brand, remember it’s the most powerful social network, with over 1 billion users. Some of them are your target audience.
26. Keep the content fun. The audience is there to connect, socialize and catch up with others
27. Keep the content simple: One line of text
28. Use an attractive photo or visually-compelling video
29. Ask yourself, “If I saw this picture, would I share it?”
30. Include your logo in your pictures
31. Mix up the content: Inspirational quotes, photos, shout-outs, personal reflections and anecdotes
Why keep your best ideas to yourself? Share them with your target on the social platforms they use to increase the likelihood they’ll carry your message to a broader audience.
Lisa Goller helps businesses tell their story. As a Toronto-based Strategic Freelance Writer & Editor, she helps executives and entrepreneurs stand out, look good and save time. Learn more at lisagoller.com
