What makes a great social media post? Is it one that attracts thousands of likes? Is it one that goes viral? Is it one that generates a stack of new followers for you?
Yes and no.
Of course, a post which attracts thousands of likes goes viral, or gets tons of people to start following you is undeniably a successful post. But, in terms of online marketing, it might not be that great.
A cat video or a funny meme about Game of Thrones might get the likes and the follows, but will it help your business in the long run? Probably not.
A perfect social media post for your business is one which generates awareness of your company or your product, drives sales, strengthens your branding, and/or engages your audience.
If you’re thinking about how to craft the perfect social media post for your business social media accounts, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to guide you in the right direction.
What do I want to achieve from this post?
As mentioned before – the power of social media in business marketing is multi-faceted. A post which drives sales might be different from a post which fosters community and allegiance to your brand.
Think about what you want to achieve from the post. Are you running a promotion which you want to make your followers aware of? If so, your post might be simple, bold, and straightforward – “limited offer for our Instagram followers! Head to the website now!”
On the other hand, if your post is intended to be branding-focused, you are better off avoiding the direct sales pitch. Instead, you should post something which aligns with your branding and interests your followers.
This is something which demonstrates what your company is about, shows some personality, and gives followers something to feel an affinity with. This should be completely un-salesy.
Keeping firmly in mind what the post is intended to achieve will make sure you craft a post which hits the mark and is successful.
What does my audience like?
Your audience may be foodies who appreciate a well-presented dish. They may be gym-junkies who love fitness related posts. Always think about your audience when you’re crafting your social media posts. It’s their likes, follows, comments, and shares which you’re looking for, so you need to tailor your material to them.
This is where it’s important to use analytics and metrics so that you know the cold, hard facts about what your audience engage with. If you’re just starting out on the social media marketing train and you don’t have enough information yet from your own metrics, look at what your competitors post. See what works for them. Use this to inform your own posts.
Always think about who you are targeting with your posts. It shouldn’t be difficult, especially if you personally fit the mould of your target audience. You can simply ask yourself “would I like this post?”
Does this fit my branding?
Each individual social media post should fit your branding strategy. Overall your social media platforms should be cohesive and give any viewer an overall sense of your brand and your company.
It’s how people know what to expect and choose to align themselves with your business.
Keeping your branding strategy in mind is essential for crafting a perfect social media post.
Is this post right for this platform?
Social media platforms are not created equally, and it’s important to keep the platform in mind when you’re creating posts.
Twitter needs to be short and snappy – not too many words or ideas. Instagram needs to be all about the aesthetically pleasing photo. LinkedIn is more professional. Facebook can be wordier but still needs to capture the elusive attention of scrollers-by.
Keep in mind the two golden rules of the sorts of posts that attract more engagement:
- Posts which include questions
- Posts which include photos
Infographics, funny quotes, life-hacks, and inspirational quotes are all shown to be successful on social media, but never use them just for the sake of it. The message has to be clear, the image and the text need to be relevant, and it all has to suit the platform, your audience, your branding, and your intention for the post.
Asking yourself these four questions will have you crafting perfect social media posts every time.
