Creating engaging and effective social media content is one of the biggest challenges for business owners. There are hundreds of classes, seminars and theories aimed at cracking the content code, but the secret to success lies in 10 basic principles.
To share them with the world, Likeable Local’s Content Team created this ebook, The 10 Commandments of Content Creation: The Small Business Guide to Foolproofing your Content Strategy on Social Media. You can download the ebook below to get the full story, or read on for the “SparkNotes” version.
10 social media content commandments (the short version)
1. Give your followers a reason to engage.
The goal with encouraging engagement on social media is to put yourself in your followers’ shoes. Does the piece of social media content spark an emotion? Does it give the viewer a much needed relief from the woes of everyday life? If the answer is “yes,” they will be all the more likely to like, comment and share the piece.
And remember: Engagement is not always about self-promotion.
2. Think positive.
The use of positive and inviting language is infinitely more likely to draw in the viewer than negative vibes. Remember to stay upbeat and steer clear of words that could turn off your audience.
3. Remember to K-I-S-S (Keep it Simple, Stupid).
Studies show that longer posts get very little engagement on social media. So, keep it brief and concise, and let image, video or link do the storytelling for you!
4. Have a conversation.
Your followers want to be spoken to by human beings, not robots. That being said, it’s your job to do your best to make up for the lack of face-to-face interaction online and really get on their level.
5. Ask yourself: Is it shareable?
Shareable content is the mecca of everything that exists on the web.
In the fast-paced and ever-changing state of social media today, if your content is not shareable, it simply won’t get very far.
Learn everything there is to know about your audience on social and do your best to strike a chord with them.
6. Know how to properly curate.
Content curation is a great loophole in production process. Not only does it take care of several roadblocks in creating authentic social media content (i.e. running out of ideas for what to post), it also establishes your business as an expert in your field. Properly curating content from outside sources will make your Facebook page or Twitter feed a destination for information.
7. Be mindful of the 4-1-1 rule.
Maintaining proportions for the types of posts you produce will keep your page on track without deterring any of your fans.
Our favorite rule of proportions is the 4-1-1 rule, which states that for every six social media posts, four should curate information from other relevant sites, one should be a personal piece you’ve created yourself, and one should be a high-value piece to promote your business or brand.
8. Keep it timely.
Stay current! Try to plan your posts around big events happening in your town or buzzworthy news stories. If you are linking to an article in a post, make sure the article was written in the last couple years (i.e. not an article from 2007) to keep the information fresh.
If you are using a management tool (like ours) to pre-schedule content, make sure that posts you are scheduling for the future are either timely for that date or evergreen (i.e. can be used anytime).
9. Use visuals to enhance your message.
Compelling images, including branded images, are a cornerstone of social media content. Remember that image posts and video posts tend to get much higher engagement rates on social. Plus, strong visuals play a massive role in creating a consistent, high-quality perception of your brand online.
10. Tell a story.
Never underestimate the power of storytelling, especially on social media. Walking your audience through the history of your business or brand and how it came to be is a great way to create a personal post (and is sure to get lots of great engagement!). People love hearing stories, and the people who follow your page will be excited to hear yours.
Creating social media content for your various accounts can be challenging. However, once you’ve developed a clear strategy, you’ll be able to publish fresh content with ease.
Download the free ebook
Now, it’s time to grab the ebook to take your posts to the next level! If you are experiencing a “content crunch” and are stuck on what to post on your business page, reading this will hopefully give you some new ideas and direction. Read on!
