I spent .5 seconds looking at the most majestic humpback whale breach on Instagram. I scrolled right past it. Next! Wow, I thought. How desensitized am I to seeing amazing content? Aren’t we all?
It’s going to get even worse once AI video starts filling our feeds with the most spectacular things beyond our imaginations.
It will become common and boring.
So it begs the questions…
👉 What is the future of content and social media?
👉 How can brands stand out and gain attention?
What We Can Learn From Red Bull's Social Media Marketing
I heard the former Head of Social Media at Red Bull say, “A question brands should ask themselves is, if you were to remove your product from your posts, what would be left? What is your company actually about if it can’t talk about your product?”
This is why branding and storytelling are so important.
I can’t answer the above questions, because it evolves and it’s different for each brand, but I can say that your content needs to be interesting.
A whale breaching on its own isn’t interesting enough.
But, what if we were told a story about a guy who lost it all – fresh off a divorce, he quit his job, sold all his things, and moved to Norway to follow his passion. It has always been his dream to see a whale breach. Insert emotional buildup. Insert whale breach. Insert emotional release.
Isn’t that more interesting already?
Don’t you now want to follow his journey to see what else he sees and how his life turns out? What will he see next? Will he ever find love again?
We become hooked, we become invested, we’ve connected, we subscribe, we like, we comment, we share…
Bring story into your brand and social content, and show emotion. That’s how you will attract, engage, and delight.
8 Ways to Have Your Social Content Be More Engaging
There are several strategies brands can use to make their social media content more engaging and interesting. Here are some ideas:
Use Audio and Visuals: Visual content, such as images, videos, and infographics, tends to perform better on social media. Use eye-catching visuals to grab the attention of your audience. But, don’t forget to make it sound interesting as well. Each transition or action can be enhanced with sound effects or audio enhancements. Even mic quality can make a huge difference.
Tell Stories: I won’t spend too much time on the value of storytelling as it should be obvious. But, humans are hardwired to love stories. It’s how we connect, learn, entertain. The key elements of a good story are an engaging hook, an interesting premise, and a promise of a payoff at the end. Pacing and narrative is very important. You can tell stories about your brand, products, or customers. This can help create an emotional connection with your audience.
Ask Questions: Encourage engagement by asking questions in your posts. This can prompt your audience to share their thoughts and opinions, which can lead to more interactions. Podcasts are a great way to get engagement. If the topic is thought provoking or controversial, it’ll naturally attract debaters in the comments. These are excellent engagement signals.
Run Contests and Giveaways: Contests and giveaways are a great way to generate excitement and engagement on social media. Offer a prize in exchange for likes, shares, or comments. I’ve had some success with this. When a prize is too small and your follower count is too large, the odds of winning decrease, as does the desire to win. Make it count.
Share User-Generated Content: Share content created by your customers or fans. This not only shows appreciation for your community but also encourages others to create and share content about your brand. When content comes from other people than the brand, it sends a huge trust signal. In marketing, we call this, “social proof”.
Use Humour: Admittedly, humour is hard to pull off well. I’m reminded of the Dollar Shave Club commercial. That was great and spawned a lot of copy-cats. A well-placed joke or witty comment can go a long way in making your content more engaging. Just make sure the humor aligns with your brand’s tone and values.
Edu-tainment: Share valuable and informative content that educates your audience about your industry, products, or services. This positions your brand as a knowledgeable authority in your field. But, always ask yourself, “Is this interesting?” People don’t necessarily go to social media to see ads, they want entertaining content. So, please make it interesting.
Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments and messages from your audience. This shows that you value their input and can help build a loyal following. Believe it or not, not every company does this. There are many examples of comments asking brands about sizing, colours, shipping – in other words, showing strong purchase intent – and the comments go unanswered. This is unacceptable. You have to engage with your audience.
By incorporating these strategies into your social media strategy, you can create more engaging and interesting content that resonates with your audience and drives meaningful interactions.
Continue reading: So You Want to Be a Growth Hacker?
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