05 Jun 5 Tips to Get Noticed on Social Media
When I was in college, there was a study room adjacent to the library that I liked to study in because talking was not considered an offense you could be incarcerated for. The room had brick walls and on one of the bricks a student had etched, “Just another brick in the wall.” I don’t know if this person was searching for his place in society, liked to deface property, or was just a huge Pink Floyd fan. But the irony was not lost on me. The only reason I noticed this brick was because it was the only one that had the “self-awareness” to proclaim that it was just one of the hundreds of others just like it.
There is a lesson here. If we come to the realization that our efforts can only be described charitably as “another brick in the wall”, then we can proactively take steps to be something a little more. We will subconsciously make a better effort to stand out.
But we can all use some help. When I look at social media content from many companies, it is predominantly about themselves. Features and benefits of their products, what conferences will they be attending, and what to expect from them in near future. These types of posts quickly lose their appeal because focus is generally on the company and not the customer.
Tip #1: Variety is the Spice of Life
Mix things up a little bit. You can write posts that promote your products but then also add some posts from third parties discussing relevant topics. Then spice it up a bit more by incorporating the human element. An insight from a thought leader, a comment from a customer, or a quote from a known personality. This will give readers a more complete view of your offerings and they will appreciate you for it.
Tip #2: Professionals are Human Beings
It is firmly established that the content that gets noticed is one that informs users how to do something that you believe they would like to know but may not have the proficiency you have, provides educational and fun facts that establishes importance or triviality of certain activities, brings in the human element, or is creative. I understand that getting creative can be difficult when you are selling a diagnostic test for colorectal cancer, but we can all come up with something that is a bit off the well-worn path.
Tip #3: Customize Messages for the Audience
Another crucial requirement is to know the audience personas of various social media channels and what times people are more likely using certain channels. Posting the same two sentences on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn is less time-consuming but will not get the job done. It is important to know that on Facebook 95% of visits are made using smartphones and tablets. So, optimizing content for mobile is non-negotiable. Also, the best days and times to post on Facebook are Wednesdays at noon and 2 p.m. and Thursdays at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Twitter users are more educated than Facebook or YouTube users with 32% being college graduates. About 45% of LinkedIn users are in upper-level positions like managers, VPs, Directors, and C-level. Wednesday is the best day to post on LinkedIn and the best time is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Tip #4: Look for the Right Metric to Track
There is quite a bit of data available to stay informed about the activity on a social media account. What we have to do is find the right metrics to track. For example, on Twitter, you can track the number of sessions, audience, and degree of engagement in terms of interactions, clicks, and shares. If the goal is to increase brand awareness, the number of impressions might be the most important to track. If the goal is to increase leads, create a website click or conversions campaign.
Tip #5: Use Paid Media To Sharpen Your Messages
If you are unsure about which messages or words resonate better in your posts, you may want to do a paid search campaign, like Google Ads, and A/B test various options and then look at the metrics to see which keywords, CTAs, or product features are generating greater audience response or participation. This can be done for a short period of time, e.g., 6 months, to gather market intelligence.
Taking these steps will increase likes, retweets, shares, and engagement with your audience. An engaged prospect consuming valuable information from you will not remain a prospect for very long. The prospect will soon become your customer.
I would welcome your thoughts on how you are adapting to changing times and keeping your posts impactful. Brad Saeed, brad@btsconsultingllc.com