Quality Matters more than Quantity
We’re now entering the social media age. If you aren’t marketing with social media, you’re one step behind the competition. However, since social media is still relatively young, a lot of businesses jump on social media sites to promote themselves without any real strategy or goals other than to sell more products or gain more customers. Their owners only know that social media provides a free and necessary platform for advertising and promoting their products and services.
Don’t Post Daily About Your Business or Merchandise
A lot of businesses go about social media marketing the wrong way and focus on quantity over quality. The Internet is full of websites that advise business owners and social media marketers to make sure they post every single day to keep fans on the hook for their businesses. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong advice. Please take note that if you’re an entrepreneur or social media marketer who’s posting daily and not seeing any results, or worse, seeing fans jump ship. Whittle down those postings to once or twice a week, and focus on creating entertaining and informative content, and watch your likes and followers increase.
A lot of followers and fans get bored when a business posts every single day or even several times a day, and when all the posts relate to the business. Unless you have something exciting going on, don’t post about what’s happening in your store or business. I can personally say that I’ve “unliked” countless businesses on Facebook simply because they don’t post enough interesting content for me. They’re telling me about their products or services with every post, and I want something more substantial and less sales-focused from the businesses I follow. I’m on most social media sites to connect with people and be entertained. Like most people, I don’t want to be sold and over-sold through status updates and tweets. There’s enough advertising on social media sites already.
Focus on Engagement and Building Relationships
The businesses that hold my interest and keep me so engaged that I not only enjoy reading their updates in my feed but will actually go to their page to see what’s new. Those are the ones that provide valuable content that I find meaningful. Many other social media users including myself follow businesses that routinely post informational articles, amazing artwork or craftsmanship or other interesting content. Often the businesses that I follow post not only information related to their own industry, but they’ll also post interesting articles, photos or videos that some other business or a customer created. They’re posting content not to overtly promote the business, but simply to share something interesting or unique with their followers and fans. You want to gain followers who enjoy what you post, and you want to build an interactive relationship with those people. Social media is about engagement. If you engage your followers and fans and they love your content, they’ll start sharing that content, and getting your content shared should be one of your most important goals.
When you provide high-quality content that your fans enjoy so much they re-post it for their friends and relatives to see, you’re building brand recognition, and you’re also potentially gaining new customers. Additionally, when you engage your customers, they feel a connection with your business and your brand. Offering interactive games and contests creates a virtual atmosphere of fun and makes followers feel invested in your business and your brand. When customers feel that they have a personal investment in your success, they’re more likely to share your content, your fan page or your home page with others. When your customers are having fun participating in a contest or game related to your business on a social media site, such as naming a new product line, they’re likely to tell their friends and family to follow your business and participate in the activities along with them. They’re also going to be thinking about your business and your products or services more frequently, which can also influence them to buy more frequently as well.
Make People Want To Share Your Content and Recommend Your Business
Moreover, people are more likely to make purchases based on the recommendations of their friends and other people they trust. Putting out high-quality content that people share will take your business a lot further than spamming your followers and fans with daily posts of little value to them. Your existing and potential customers will be more likely to shop with you and hold you in high regard if you produce high-quality content. You’ll be creating a better reputation for your business, and instead of being linked in people’s minds with low-quality, useless or meaningless content, you’ll be linked with content that they’ve enjoyed and shared. When you’re planning your social media content strategy, the most important thing to consider is what you as a consumer want from the businesses that you follow. Think about the businesses who have the most interesting posts and whose content you share with others. Notice what they do that sets them apart. Consider also the businesses whose posts bore you or turn you off, and take note of what they do that doesn’t work. It’s just as important to know what to do right as to know what to avoid.
About Daniel Tan
