There’s a reason creating social media content is an art and not a science. Simply put, each brand coupled with its targeted audience is completely unique. Here are five pointers to keep your content fresh, relevant and engaging.
1. Less is more. According to several recent studies, the sweet spot for Facebook and Twitter content is between 80 and 100 characters in length. While many factors influence engagement (industry, geographic market, audience, product, etc.), keeping content concise helps increase the likelihood of engagement. Social media posts are billboards of information that should easily be digested within five seconds.
2. Think shareable. Images and video drive the message home, plain and simple. Make sure your images are timely, relevant and unique. User-generated content works wonders.
3. Give credit where credit is due. Did you highlight an Instagram fan’s photo on your Facebook page? Have a vendor that really helped drive success? Does the media contact who wrote a piece about your brand have a Twitter handle? Give them a shout out. Tag them. When they feel like they’ve won, you win again.
4. Recycle content. Not every piece of content is outdated after one use. Revisit your previous media coverage, blog posts, articles and announcements and identify the types of content that can be repurposed to drive engagement. If a concept worked, go back to the well.
5. Leverage your resources. Have multiple engagement channels and resources on your website that you want to share with your audience? Create a carousel of information that points brand enthusiasts and potential new fans to each channel in your arsenal. Cross advertise your channels. Think inbound marketing: there are many entry points into the sales funnel. Make sure you’re continually looping visitors back to the conversation.