How to add wit, warmth and charm and win more followers
Succeeding on social media is a bit like kissing the Blarney Stone. Do it right, and your power to genuinely charm and persuade your customers will please the algorithm gods.
Kissing the Blarney Stone isn’t as simple as it sounds. There’s the climb to the top of Blarney Castle. Then there’s leaning backwards over the parapet to plant your kiss on the underside of the stone. That said, it's less dangerous than it used to be because now there are guardrails to guide you.
Social media also has guardrails. Grab hold of them, and you’ll get to the top - safe, sound, and successful.
Image: Laura in fits of laughter trying to kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland
Six definite ‘dos’ to give your socials a touch of the blarney
Be You: Because, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde (that wise and witty Irishman), ‘everyone else is taken.’ Despite some gilded, filtered appearances on social media, genuine ‘quirks and all’ humans rule there, as they do IRL (in real life.)
Be visual: Yep, images and videos of you being you are worth a thousand words. Make them eye-catching and appealing but don’t stress; no one expects you to be [ insert amazing film director of your choice]. One small, good thing to do when you’re taking a selfie… clean your lens. It makes a world of difference. Carousels and videos are hot items right now. They keep your audience on your content longer, and the audacious algorithms give you a big tick.
Talk to your people: You can't please everyone on social media, but you can get good at pleasing your target audience. Knowing who they are, matching your content to what they like, and avoiding what they don’t, is a cornerstone of sound social media marketing. Not sure what pleases your people? Ask them. Poll them, pose ‘prefer this or that?’, or ‘what if’ or ‘how about this?’ questions in your posts.
Review test: Look at your last 6-9 posts with eyes of a new follower. Are they able to see your values, what you offer? Now see what posts that struck the strongest chord with your audience. Did you use a juicy hook, tell a compelling story, give helpful tips on using your products, or share something personal your readers related to? Look just as hard at the posts that didn’t attract much love and attention. Then list the things you’ll do more or less of and what you might do differently.
Use hashtags: Hashtags are a great way to make your content #visability to a broader audience. Include brand-specific, industry-specific, trending, location-based and content-relevant hashtags. Here are some of mine:
#buildingbusinessbuzz (brand specific), #socialmediasuccess (industry specific), #regionalvictoria (location), #restandrecovery (content specific for a post about winding down)
Compile a list of hashtags you can cut and paste and /or customise to suit specific posts #toptip.
Interact: Honour the ‘social’ in social media. You’re here to build relationships, and that takes two-way-street-type engagement. Respond to comments as soon as possible, comment on other people's posts, slide into DMs (Direct Messages ….. in case you’re wondering), react and reply to stories. Be thoughtful, generous, and kind. You’ll build lovely, loyal virtual relationships with customers, colleagues, and other like-minded humans.
Four stone cold ‘don’ts’ that do your socials no good at all
Don’t get too salesy: Of course, you’re here to promote and sell your sublime stuff or sensational services. But no one likes being bombarded by ads. So, mix it up! Build brand personality and credibility by sharing helpful tips, interesting articles, fun facts, and goofy memes. As long as everything you post matches your brand values and your followers' interests, chances are, you’ll outsell the hard sellers a hundred times over.
Don’t be too serious: Showing up on social media is not a job interview or a public speaking gig (and even there, a little levity works wonders.) So don't be too earnest. Add some grin-worthy personality to your content and show your silly side. Smiley humans will likely be come-back-for-more-humans who appreciate your warmth and humour and buy your stuff. If ‘ funny’ just isn’t you, that's okay. Just be your least serious self.
Don’t be a copycat: Be original and create content that aligns with your brand's values and message. If you're unsure what your brand's values and message are, take a break and figure that out. Using someone else's content without permission is a big no-no on social media and everywhere else. In fact, it’s illegal and can get your account suspended or even banned.
Don’t ignore analytics: Analytics are like GPS for social media. They help you find your way and stay on track. Analytics show you what's working and what's not so you can fine-tune your content strategy for success. Track your engagement, reach, and follower growth. Use this data to tweak and or evolve your marketing strategy and plan. If you're not into analytics, find someone who is and let them do the dirty work! Hint, hint.
So there you go, you awesome humans, ten #toohottomisstips for creating genuine lively, smiley, on-brand social media content.
And #psstjustsoyouknow, social media isn’t rocket science. It's just a bunch of people scrolling and liking. The trick is to keep your audience in mind and have fun. Happy posting!