3 Powerful Tips to Improve Your Social Media Posts
Click here to view original article page at www.socialmediaexaminer.com
In an excellent article, Social Media Examiner looked at tips to improve your social media posts. Here are the 3 tips that I think are particularly relevant for our businesses…
#1: Images Speak to Viewers
Your image is your first call to action in your social posts. It’s the front door to your content, so it needs to make an impact.
It’s important to choose an image that expresses what you’re trying to say in your post. For example, Red Bull’s Instagram images inspire their followers to enjoy life and seek new adventures.
Good social images also stand out from the crowd and command attention in people’s news feeds. The image in this Coca-Cola post draws the audience’s attention with its use of vivid colors and an interesting pattern.
Your images should also be relevant to your target audience. In this Facebook post, Zappos uses an image that appeals to their audience: women who are fashion-conscious and love to buy shoes.
#2: Words Trigger Action
After creating your first call to action with an image, it’s time to focus on the description.
The law of attraction states that “like attracts like,” so start your description with words you know people want or like to hear. Six words that typically work well are who, what, when, where, why and how. These words spark an emotional response that grabs a person’s attention.
You can also try these trigger words to engage your audience.
#3: Conversation Engages
How you introduce conversation into the mix of your social media posts helps determine how much people will open up to you.
The easiest, most effective way to spark communication is to ask for it. You might begin your post with a question or end with a question or a statement that prompts people to engage.
In this post, Threadless engages their followers by asking them to submit a quip to use in one of their t-shirt designs.
By establishing communication with your followers, you’ll discover what they need and want and how you can give it to them.
In the post below, Livescribe asks their followers to share stories about how the company’s products have helped them in personal or professional capacities. These stories provide the company great insight into the many ways customers use their products.
Effective communication allows you to make a positive impact with your social posts. Here, Popchips engages their Facebook followers by asking them to share pictures of their dogs to celebrate National Puppy Day.
Your followers will remember their positive conversation with your brand the next time they see you in their news stream.
Remember that when you start giving people a glimpse of your brand’s personality, they’ll begin to trust you.
Choose a Friendly Profile Image
Your personal profile picture can also have an impact on your social media posts. If you appear friendly and helpful in your profile photo, you’re likely to attract and draw in more followers.
This psychological study suggests that you smile in your photo, show your eyes (no sunglasses) and squinch (like a squint, but a bit less). Also, crop the photo to show you from your shoulders upward or from your head to waist.
What do you think? Have you tried any of these tactics to improve your social media posts? What techniques do you use to appeal to followers on your social channels?