Would Donald Trump be the president without social media? This is a question that no one is really qualified to answer, but we do know that Trump understands the importance of social media.
Trump appropriately tweeted the following in 2012, “I love Twitter…. it’s like owning your own newspaper …”
While his opinion may be controversial on many issues, he aptly hit upon the importance of social media. It is like a newspaper that each individual company can own. Everyone has the ability to disseminate their information through their own social media channels without having to go through editors and journalists.
You can post what you want when you want.
While this is appealing, it leaves everyone on their own when it comes to acquiring an audience, creating content, and controlling their reputation. This can be really hard, but here are some tips and tricks when it comes to managing social media.
Use Visuals
The internet is the wild west of messages. There are banner ads on the top and sides of websites, before every video on YouTube, and often hiding inside people’s Facebook feeds. So if you want to get your message out there, you have to cut through the clutter.
To get people to actually look where you want, a picture is a must. Pictures are more visually appealing than words, and people are going to look at what is visually appealing. No matter how profound or witty a sentence is, if no one looks at it, it’s useless. Unfortunately, not all pictures are created equal: add action to your visuals.
A picture of ten men and women in business wear hold an award is an easy picture to take and even easier to ignore. Add action to your pictures to engage your audience. Post a picture of someone working on a computer, being bored, or negotiating a deal. Create an infographic that conveys number is a visually engaging way. Action in pictures tells a story, and people love a good story. A picture like this can transition someone from an image to the rest of the post seamlessly.
Have good content
It seems that every company has some goals about how frequently to post, many trying to stay relevant by posting every day. Frequently posting is good, but if you have nothing to say, don’t try to force something.
Forcing things will only lead to mediocre posts that will get lost in the flood of messages makes up the internet. Instead, take a day or two to find something that is relevant, find a unique angle, and make it look nice. Create a quality infographic or take some pictures to find one that will cut through the clutter.
One message that finds its way to your audience is worth a lot more than five messages that got lost on the way.
Be a human
Let your personality shine when it comes to social media. People come to social media to be social; that means a human connection. A company is not a human, so it is your task to give your company that persona. Your organization’s personality will depend on what you want it to be but make it consistent with your image.
A snarky charity comes off wrong and should instead focus on more uplifting messages. A fast food restaurant could get away with being more confrontational, especially with its competitors. Wendy’s twitter has gone viral multiple times for calling out competitors like Burger King and McDonalds. Arby’s has a less abrasive flair; it had a time when they would post different origami creations from their packaging. These origami creations were designed after a wide range of popular characters from television to comics and showed a youthful and nostalgic charm.
Each company has its own unique culture and missions, and social media is the perfect place to showcase this. Do not be afraid to be bold with social media; people often reward boldness on the internet.
Social media is an opportunity to engage with your customers is an increasingly personal and unique way. Make the most of this opportunity.