If you’ve dabbled in social media, know that it’s important, but have no idea how to make it work on a business level – or make it worth the effort you have to put in keep reading.
If you:
- Put in lots of effort with little result
- Spend hours trying to keep up with all the different social platforms
- Don’t know what to post
And think that social media is like a black hole – where you can spend hours for little or no return the 5 Cs will give you some guidance and a framework to start with.
Don’t bite off too big a chunk
The first myth I want to blow out of the water is that you need to be on ALL the social platforms. First you need to identify where you target audience hang out and then be active where they’re looking.
Start with one and get that working, then add another. You don’t have to be all things to all people.
The secret of success is to have a strategy and a framework and then stick to it. So what are the 5 Cs?
Creativity
Ordinary doesn’t get attention, so you need to get creative with your messages.
What will get attention? Is it a spectacular image that will catch the eye (but it has to be relevant) or a headline that gets people to want to know more?
Whichever (or both) you choose, then you need to keep the ball in play – that means you have to keep them coming.
My tip is to have a list of subjects with:
- The most frequently asked questions you get
- The biggest pains your customer have
- The most successful results clients have had (from your products or services)
- Controversial quotes or opinions
Then it’s a case of how to frame these as posts for your chosen platforms.
Use Answerthepublic.com to find out what people want in relation to your key words/phrases.
Put your keywords into Google and see what comes up as the most popular posts. There is usually a list of questions people ask in relation to a key phrase that will help too.
Colour
Colour doesn’t necessarily mean that you need pictures that are gloriously technicolour, but that you need to have images that pop and attract the eye.
Sometimes monochrome can have the same attention-grabbing effect.
In today’s social media world images are the hook that draws your potential client in, so make sure your images work hard for their living!
Charisma
Charisma is difficult to define, but people with it attract others to them. That’s what you’re aiming for with your social media posts. It’s not an accident, you have to work at it. People with charisma often dress in a signature style or have something that is memorable about them.
You might develop something that is a theme running through your posts or a particular style of presentation.
However, one of the most compelling ways to attract people is to consistently give them what they want. If you’re the guru and show you really understand what they want, your posts will have charisma.
Congruency
This is all about posting content that is in line with you and your business image. While I’m all for shaking people up a bit, I want them to take me seriously – so I need to match their expectations on at least some levels.
Whatever your products or services are, your online presentations need to reflect those and create the kind of response you want to get.
Don’t get me wrong I know a business consultant that turns up on a motorbike and a marketing specialist that specialises in getting your inner message right to attract more clients. You don’t have to be boring – but there must be congruency between your posts and overall message.
If you fail to do this your credibility can suffer.
The other part of the congruency equation is to post content that works for the people on that platform.
Instagram is focused on images – so you need some eye-catching pix. Yes, you can add text, but most people will see the picture and read the first line or two, but that’s all.
Facebook offers businesses two options and you can choose both. A Page and/or a Group. A group sets you up as the expert – and people are more likely to see the posts if you encourage them to turn on the notifications.
Posts on a page are only shown to a very tiny percentage (less than 1%) of people who have liked the page, so you really need to keep delivering great content that interests the page followers. The Facebook algorithms improve the results when you invest in paid for advertising.
LinkedIn posts appear on the home page feed – and also on your profile page under ‘activity’. This also includes any posts you’ve liked or commented on too. If you have a longer post, it might be worth posting it as an article.
Twitter – short, punchy and to-the-point. Good for linking to your blogs or other website pages. Also a good platform for journalists.
YouTube – video content, but one video isn’t enough. To be an influencer you need around 10 videos around your keyword or phrase.
The content needs to be useful – not too long and to have a call to action at the end.
Consistency
If you’re not consistent in your approach and your messages, don’t expect to get results.
It’s a bit like a production line – once you know what all the components are and know how to put them together you can keep creating successful outcomes.
To start with it may seem like an uphill struggle, but you have to start somewhere. A plan, time allocated to creating the content, a regular posting schedule all build into a habit that is just part of your week’s marketing activity.
You don’t need a fancy blueprint; a spreadsheet is all you need. Date, copy, link and image in columns and sections for each platform and you’ve got the basics.
What next?
Schedule the time in your diary and get started. If you need some help – whether it’s a customised plan or a done-for-you service – you know where to find us!
