How to shine on socials!

 

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the task of creating fresh social media posts every week.  This usually happens when you lose focus.  These are our top ten tips to help you to create content that connects.

1: Know your audience inside out

I bang on about this endlessly – but that’s because it’s not just useful; it’s the foundation for all your marketing.  If you know your target audience’s demographics, interests, and online behaviour, know when they're active, what content they engage with, and which platforms they prefer it will guide your entire strategy and help you create content that connects.

2: Maintain consistent branding

Use the same logo, colour scheme, fonts, and tone of voice across all platforms.  This creates a congruent brand experience that helps customers recognise your business instantly, whether they see your post on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn (or see your brand anywhere else).

3: Follow the 80/20 rule

Share valuable, entertaining, or educational content 80% of the time, and promotional content only 20% of the time.  This keeps your audience engaged without making them feel like they're constantly being sold to.  Share your top tips, behind-the-scenes content, customer stories, and helpful resources.  Remember that the more value you deliver, the more engaged your connections will be.

4: Post consistently with a content calendar

Plan your posts in advance, it’s much easier to create good content, when you work in batches.  Whether you use a spreadsheet, Google docs or something else to plan, using scheduling tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or one of the many other schedulers enables you to upload your posts in one hit and then you can focus your social media activity on responding to likes and comments and engaging with others.

5: Use high-quality visuals

Invest in good photos and graphics, even if you're using your smartphone.  Natural lighting, clean backgrounds, and authentic images of your products or team perform better than stock photos.  Visual content gets significantly more engagement than text-only posts.

6: Engage authentically with your community

Respond promptly to comments, messages, and mentions.  Ask questions in your posts to encourage interaction, share other people’s content to enhance your reputation as a smart curator, and participate in relevant conversations.  Social media is meant to be social – treat it like a two-way conversation, not a broadcasting channel.

7: Leverage local and relevant hashtags

Research hashtags that your target audience actually uses, including location-based tags if you serve a local market.  Mix popular hashtags with more niche ones to expand your reach, while connecting with engaged communities.  Avoid overusing hashtags – quality over quantity.

8: Share behind-the-scenes content

People love seeing the human side of the businesses they follow.  Share your work process, introduce team members, show how products are made, or give glimpses of your workspace.  This creates emotional connections with your audience.  At the end of the day people engage with people, not organisations.

9: Monitor your analytics and adapt

Use platform insights to track which types of content perform best, when your audience is most active, and which posts drive the most engagement or website traffic.  Reviewing performance at least weekly will help to drive your strategy and focus on what actually works for your specific audience.

10: Stay current with platform updates and trends

Social media platforms constantly evolve their algorithms and features.  Stay informed about changes and new opportunities like Instagram Reels, LinkedIn newsletters, or emerging platforms.  However, don't chase every trend – only adopt new features that align with your brand and audience preferences.

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Consistency builds trust and keeps your brand top-of-mind.  Aim for a realistic posting schedule you can maintain long-term rather than burning out with daily posts.

Social media success doesn't happen overnight.  Focus on building genuine relationships with your audience, providing value consistently, and staying true to your brand voice.  Quality engagement from a smaller, targeted audience is often more valuable than having thousands of followers who aren't interested in your business.