Establish your brand social media account as a must-follow with content made just for that channel

The advent of social media for brands was huge: here was a vehicle to connect directly with audiences anywhere, no matter where they are. Social media channels became sites for research, conversation, and – for the savviest – conversion to sales. Companies could and still do use compelling posts for push marketing, to entice viewers to click towards their own digital ecosystems (websites, ecommerce stores, etc).

By exclusively using social media to direct users elsewhere, brands fail to use social as individuals do: for “social’s sake.” We’re not advocating against this practice – in fact, it’s likely you’re reading this article after following a social link. But by reconfiguring your social to be a true channel – that is, a place where you want people to stay and engage for as long as possible – you can build rapport and trust with your audience.

Think of the irreverent, humourous Twitter account @MoonPie, the brand account for the American snack cake. Over 280,000 followers tune in to follow along and comment on MoonPie’s posts, which sometimes talk about Moon Pies and sometimes border on the wildly self-aware:

 

While the MoonPie voice wouldn’t work for everyone, what they teach is that audiences are receptive to brands that attempt to engage without always expecting something in return, like a purchase or click. Simply conversing on social media – like millions do every day – is a ticket to letting the humans behind your brand shine through.

So how do you share more unique-to-social content?

 

1. Dedicate a time of day to be spontaneous, outside-the-box posting.

Maybe it’s during the morning or evening commute, or over the lunch hour, but let your social staffer(s) have at least 30 minutes a day to post frequently and engage with audiences.

 

2. Strike your true tone.

Your products and services might be ripe for MoonPie’s weird brand of humour, but it’s more likely that you already have a strong brand voice that you can use to interact with audiences. You don’t want to create an incongruous experience between your social channel and what you offer the world.

 

3. Plan in advance, even to “wait.”

In the MediaFace social calendar, we have “planned” posts that we write in advance, and “waiting” posts that we know will be more spontaneous. It helps to know which days we’ll be writing on the fly – even if we don’t know what that content is, yet.

 

4. Pictures speak a thousand words

If you aren’t sure where to start with unique posting, pictures are great: take a behind-the-scenes photo or boomerang of your office, and use the caption to explain what’s happening. It’ll give your followers a glimpse into who you really are.

 

Have you seen great brand content on social lately? Let us know – where else – on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

 

Photo by Daniele Riggi on Unsplash.