Ten Tips on Creating Social Media Content

It’s World Social Media Day (woo hoo!)  To celebrate I’ve put together my top tips on creating social media content that is effective and engaging.

Tip One: Consistency is Key

Some people will tell you to post once a day, others say five times a day – everybody seems to have a different opinion when it comes how often is the “right” amount.  But the number one thing to remember is to keep it consistent.  It’s no good posting five times a day for three days then not going online for a week or two.  The important thing is to show up regularly for your audience.

Tip Two: Quality is Paramount

More than quantity, quality is what matters most.  If you’re coming online to say something make it count.  Say something that teaches something, connects you to your audience or makes life better for them in some way – whether that be to spread joy, teach them a skill or to engage in authentic conversation with them.

Tip Three: Keep it Authentic

It’s all about authenticity.  Sadly when it comes to social media, there’s not all that much of it.  Everywhere I look there’s the same sales messages that are cookie-cutter and lack substance or soul.  Instead of looking at what everyone else is doing share something real that matters to you.  This is the way to find an audience – by being authentic, people will connect with you on a deeper level.

Tip Four: Forget About Numbers

Stop trying to get followers.  Controversial I know but followers don’t mean income.  When you stop thinking about the numbers and just focus your attention on showing up regularly for your audience and being real, you’ll see a massive difference in the type of people you attract.  I’ve worked with people with 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 Instagram followers that are making next to no profit.  Stop asking “how many?” and start asking “how meaningful?”

Tip Five: Pick One and Keep it Productive

My final piece of advice is that choosing where you are NOT is as important as choosing where you are seen.  There’s no need to be on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube and TikTok at the same time.  All you’ll be doing is spending a lot of time being unproductive and slavishly performing for an app.  Remember why you are on the platform in the first place and what your objective is.  Keep focused, put effort in and track results – this will be much easier if you only pick one or two platforms to focus on rather than thinly spreading your content across multiple places.

Tip Six: Stay Social

There’s no point going online, shouting about what you offer and logging off again.  The point of social media is that it’s social.  Talk to people, connect with people, engage and spend time building relationships.  Don’t just go there to sell, spend time connecting with likeminded people.

Tip Seven: Show Who You Are, Not Just What You Do

One of the mistakes I think people make most is shouting too much about what they do and what they are selling rather than showing their essence.  One of the most random facts about me is that I eat chocolate in the shower (true story).  It’s when I share things like this that my inbox floods with messages from people asking about it.  Your audience want to get to know you, not simply to be sold something.

Tip Eight: But It’s Also About Selling

But it is to some extent about selling.  And for as many people as I see bombarding you with their sales pitch, there are as many people if not more that are so afraid to sell they don’t tell you anything.  People need to know where they can find out more or buy from you – don’t make this difficult for them.  They need to know what you offer and where to go to find out more.  Don’t be afraid, the right people will want to know.

Tip Nine: Tell a Story

Literally.  Get on social stories and talk.  It can be about anything.  Mine are a mix of the personal and random (#shitchat) and copywriting and marketing tips.  It doesn’t matter where you start or what you say – it’s about connecting, showing your face and being seen.  Don’t put it off, what better day to start showing up on stories than World Social Media Day?  Tag me in your story and I’ll come and support you!

Tip Ten: Learn From Your Content

Spend time looking at your insights to work out what your audience engage with and what they don’t.  Your social insights will show you what got the most engagement and your website will show you what click-throughs you received and which content was most popular.  This gives you intel for what your readers are resonating with, helping you to improve and adapt the content that you share.

Most importantly, have fun with your social media content.  This is a place to share, inspire, uplift and connect.  I’ve met some incredible clients through social media and some really great friends (including some from overseas who I would never have had the opportunity to meet had I not been present on my social media platforms).  It’s so easy to second guess yourself when you post but try not to overthink it, it’s not about forcing it or following a formula – just turn up, talk openly and the right people will always follow you.