In the social media arena, engagement is the name of the game. As an inbound marketing tool, social media content helps create strong bonds with your audience and gives them an opportunity to get to know your brand. Research shows that social media strengthens brand positioning, increases trust and improves online visibility. As a bonus, organic content is extremely cost-effective versus traditional marketing methods.

So, how do you create posts that will drive engagement and keep them coming back? Following are four tips to help you craft more engaging content.

Focus on your audience

First and foremost, social media content should be customer-centric. By listening and learning from your audience, you can create the type of content they want to see.

Look for opportunities to get inside the head of your primary audience members. Consider utilizing social listening tools to research current hot topics and read what users are saying about your brand and competitors. There are a range of specialized social listening tools available, like HubSpot and Meltwater, which tap social media channels to give you up-to-date information about trends, audiences and conversations to give you valuable insight. More and more social media management tools are offering social listening, tracking and analytics alongside publishing tools to streamline your content management strategy. Find a tool that works for your brand and start learning today.

In addition to social listening, you can directly engage with key followers and customers. Ask them what type of content they want to see or what problems you can help them solve. Proactive (rather than reactive ) communication is another great way to foster trust.

Keep your messaging authentic

The modern consumer has a keen eye for authenticity. Stick to your brand values rather than trying to hop on every new trend. It’s important to present your unique brand personality clearly and consistently across all marketing messaging, including social media. By staying true to your roots, you will foster trusting relationships with your audience – leading to loyal brand experts who will be your champions online and in person.

Allow your audience to get to know you by providing a peek behind the curtain. Adding unique, authentic personality to social media content helps to humanize your brand in the eye of the consumer. Be ‘yourself’ when crafting content for your brand the same way you would for your personal accounts.

Manage your content effectively

If you’re starting from scratch, creating a social media strategy can feel daunting. Our best tip for managing content is to stay organized.

Start with a user-friendly calendar, like this one from the Digital Marketing Institute, to keep track of your content. Map out content monthly, keeping in mind important dates, internal marketing campaigns and current trends based on your social listening research.

Creating content ‘buckets’ – topics you want to cover consistently like industry trends, your products or services, events, etc. – helps maintain a balanced mix and a starting place when planning your social media calendar. You can always fill in from there with more timely subject matter.

Don’t forget to interact, and be sure to respond without delay! Delegate social media monitoring to one or more team members. Be a part of the conversation by responding to comments and tagged posts, and don’t ignore negativity. By responding to customers reporting their pain points, you show them that you care and want to improve their experience with your brand. Engagement provides valuable insight about what your audience likes, wants and needs.

Stay up to date on social media trends

Keep an eye on current research to learn what, when and where to post your content across platforms for optimal engagement. Consumers use each social media channel differently, so don’t use a cookie-cutter approach when crafting posts. Incorporate what you’ve learned from your research and browse social media like your audience would to keep up with trending topics.

 

Key takeaways

• Listen to and learn about your audience to create the type of content they want to see
• Use your brand’s foundation to craft consistent messaging
• Stay organized to make your life easier
• Utilize research from industry leaders to stay relevant

If you need help creating or upgrading your social media content strategy, contact our team today.