All Brands Must Follow this One Golden Rule on Social Media

There are several strategies brands can use to make their social media content more engaging and interesting. Here are some ideas:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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”.

6. 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.

7. 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. 

8. 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.