If you blog, you obviously want people to read what you are blogging about. With all the content out there, sometimes getting eyes on your words can be a challenge.
Before launching Social Creative, I started a personal blog for fun. Harley House was my first go at blogging and a chance for me to express my writing creativity. I wasn’t writing to make money, I was writing to inspire my readers and share my thoughts. Still, I wanted people to read my stuff; I wanted to write high-quality posts.
If you’re a business owner or a blogger who wants to make money, you have to have a strategy for your blog posts. Just putting your thoughts on paper won’t cut it. So how do you create high-quality posts that leave your readers wanting more? For starters, you have to have a plan.
Create an Editorial Calendar
An editorial calendar should be the first place you start.
You need to have a clear idea of what you will write about and when you will post your content. Just like your social media activities need to be consistent, so do your blog posts. If you post once every two months, your readers will likely not be loyal followers. Having a well-defined editorial calendar will keep you on track and provide you with a blueprint for your blogging strategy.
Create Content that Helps Your Readers
Before writing a blog post, you should ask yourself why you are writing it. If you don’t have a good answer, chances are no one will want to read it. The high-quality content you write about should provide your readers with value. They are coming to you to learn something because they trust you.
My business provides companies social media management and writing solutions; therefore, my blog posts are geared towards helping people learn more about social media, how to get better results on their social media networks and how to write better.
If you’re a real estate agent, you would want some of your blog posts to help your clients navigate the home-buying or selling process. Regardless of what you do, your posts should help those you are targeting.
And remember, it’s important to talk about yourself, your thoughts and your experiences. This will help readers connect with you.
Create Something New
This tip goes hand-in-hand with creating content that helps your readers. With so much information out there, it’s important that you create high-quality content that stands out. You need to provide your readers with something new. That can be challenging, but it can be done.
Maybe you know of a new and improved way of doing something, or maybe you have a first-hand experience that is worthy of sharing. Either way, you need to determine what makes your content stand out and stick to creating your post around that.
Don’t Forget About SEO
While you’re creating content to provide your readers with valuable information, you also need to remember search engine optimization (SEO). You need search engines to find you, as they can be your first source of traffic.
Search engines use keywords, so you’ll want to choose a certain keyword for each post. Once you determine the post keyword, you can place it in various places like the post title, subheadings, paragraphs in the post and the post meta description.
If you’re using WordPress, I highly recommend using the Yoast SEO plugin. Yoast offers some great tips on SEO for blog posts.
Make Your Post Title Count
As people scroll through their Facebook news feed, they are bombarded with content. So how do you get their attention? One of the main ways is to create an “I want to read this!” blog post title.
Long titles that don’t include your keyword won’t help you much, but numbered lists in blog titles will.
If your blog post is about ways to stay healthy during the holidays, which title do you think sounds better?
10 Easy Ways to Eat Healthy During the Holidays
OR
Stay on Track During the Holidays: What You Should Not Eat
I think we all know the obvious answer. The Content Marketing Institute shares some other ways to create a killer title.
Make Your Content Organized and Easy to Read
Nothing is worse that clicking on a blog post and feeling like this is the last thing you want to read. You don’t want to feel like you’re reading an essay. In order to get your readers to stick around, organize your content for them and make your post easy to read.
You can do that by including:
Headings
Subheadings
Bulleted lists
Numbered lists
Also, you want to remember to write a clear introduction to what you are about to share and wrap it up with a solid conclusion or call to action.
Use Your Social Media Accounts to Your Advantage
If you’re active on social media, you have an awesome opportunity to share your high-quality blog posts. Create engaging social media posts around your blog posts. By sharing your posts on your social media networks, you can drive traffic to your website and define yourself as a subject matter expert.
Also, don’t forget to add social share buttons to all of your posts; this makes it easier for your readers to share your content on their own social networks. I use the Sumo plugin for this.
Don’t Forget to Proofread
You have one chance to make a first impression. Once you’ve created your high-quality post, you want to make sure you don’t have typos and that your words actually make sense. Read your content over several times. I actually like to print my blog post and read it aloud.
Creating a post that engages your readers isn’t as hard as you think. By using some of the above tips, you’re on your way to writing better blog posts and establishing yourself as an expert in whatever it is you do.
To be successful on social media it takes hard work and consistency. With so much content out there, it can be a challenge to stand out above the others. While a social media strategy is one way to rock your efforts, there are other tactics you can implement that will gain you engaged followers and help you publish content that gets your business noticed.
1. Post More Images
Hands down, photos get the most engagement on social media. Next time you post, try to include an image. Need help with images? Canva is an awesome tool that lets you create images that work on most major social media channels.
2. Use a Social Media Scheduler
Consistency is key if you want to grow your social media followers. By using a social media scheduler, you can plan and schedule posts and then forget about them. Hootsuite is a free tool that allows you to schedule posts across multiple networks. Loomly is what we use for our clients, and we absolutely love it. So do our clients!
3. Track Your Efforts
It’s so important to track your social media activities. You need to understand what is working and where you can improve. Hootsuite offers free basic analytics and each social media network also provides analytics. You should measure your efforts on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.
4. Mix Up Content
Keep your followers engaged by mixing up the content you share. Post text, images, video and links.
5. Tell a Story
There’s no better way to connect customers with your brand than to tell a story. If you are selling a product, don’t just sell it. Share a story and show people why they need your product. Check out this video from Kleenex. The company doesn’t try to sell you anything, but you’ll surely be reaching for a Kleenex after watching it.
6. Encourage Conversations
Don’t just share content that promotes your business; share content that encourages conversations. This will not only help with keeping your followers engaged, it will also help in creating communities around your brand.
7. Interact with Others
Don’t be that company that just pushes out content. Make sure you interact with your followers and other influencers on social media. Reply to all comments, post comments on other posts and take part in online conversations.
8. Be Authentic
Social media is so popular because it’s real. Real conversations take place online and people share personal details about their lives. Even if you’re a company that sells paper towels, you still have the opportunity to be authentic and genuine. Give people a reason to want to connect with your brand; being fake or too pushy won’t help.
9. Incorporate Hashtags
With organic reach on the decline, getting your content in front of people requires a strategic approach. One of the ways that gives your content a better chance of showing up in search results is by incorporating relevant hashtags in your social posts. Try adding them to your Tweets and Instagram posts.
10. Use Keywords in Your Posts
Social networks have search features that operate just like search engines. When someone searches something on a social media network, they type in certain keywords. Using relevant keywords in your posts will increase your chance of your posts being found by people searching for certain topics in your industry.
Remember, growth takes time and consistency; however, by incorporating these strategies in your social media efforts, you should start seeing results.
Do you have any tips that are working for you? If so, please share in the comments.
Instagram is a great way to showcase your business and yourself to the world. The visual platform allows you to share beautiful and creative images that highlight your business, your talented employees, your personality and unique behind-the-scenes moments. While you may have awesome content that you regularly share, gaining a large amount of followers requires hard work and strategy. As we look at ways to expand your followers and become an Instagram all-star, remember, no matter how many followers you do acquire, quality is key to growing an engaged following. You want a following that interacts with you or your business and rallies behind your brand.
Let’s look at 9 ways you can increase your followers and your engagement.
1. Optimize Your Profile
When creating your profile, you want to make sure it showcases who you are and gives people a reason to follow you. Make sure you select a profile picture that represents you. If you’re a business, your logo is a good choice. When completing the bio section, include relevant content about your company. Also, make sure to include a link to your website that will take followers directly to your site. This is the one and only place on Instagram that allows for a clickable link.
2. Use Relevant Hashtags
By using hashtags relevant to your brand, industry or product in your photo captions, more people will be exposed to your posts. One of the easiest ways to find hashtags that are being used in your industry is through the search tab in Instagram. Just search for a hashtag and then you’ll be able to see a list of related hashtags. I searched #socialmediatips and other hashtags that came up were #socialmediamarketing and #socialmarketing.
3. Use Popular (Already Established) Hashtags
One of my favorites is #MondayMotivation. Who doesn’t love a little inspiration at the beginning of the week? A few other ones are #tbt (Throwback Thursday), #FanFriday and #WednesdayWisdom.
I would recommend using hashtags sparingly. I typically like to use no more than four.
4. Post Quality Images
Smartphones have come a long way these days and that makes it easier to post quality images. Remember, Instagram is visual, make your photos memorable! There are tons of great editing apps that can help breathe life into your photos. One I like is ProCam. Not only does it have editing capabilities, it turns your iPhone into a DSLR camera.
5. Be Consistent
You have to be consistent and strategic in your Instagram posting schedule if you want to see results. I recommend having a social media strategy in place as you build your Instagram followers. This will help you stay focused on your goals and consistent in your posting schedule. To answer the question about how often you should post to Instagram, that’s a little tough. Every person and business is different. I do like the idea of posting daily (if you have quality content – don’t post so-so content just to hit the once a day mark). I think if you can try to post daily, your followers won’t forget you and they won’t feel like you are spamming them. Again, test this out. Track the engagement of your posts for a month and see if you’re gaining followers and increasing engagement. If you aren’t seeing the results you hoped for, maybe it’s time to adjust your posting frequency.
6. Be Engaging and Interact with Followers
As you grow your Instagram followers, remember that you are building a community. With that, you want to make sure that your account isn’t just a one-way street. Create engaging posts that excite your followers and allows them to take part in the conversation. A good way to do that is to ask a question in your caption. For example, if you’re running a donut shop, you likely post photos of the different kinds of donuts you offer. In the caption, you might say, “Check out our newest delight. It pairs well with coffee or milk. Tell us what you prefer to drink with your sweet treat!”
7. Create a Contest
Running a contest on Instagram is a great way to grow your followers. People get excited about contests, especially if you are giving away something. Let’s say you own a clothing boutique. You could offer 20 percent off a purchase to one lucky follower. For the contest, you require people to like your page and tell you what they like to wear most. You can then select one random winner to receive the 20 percent off coupon. Not only is this a great way to gain followers, but it increases awareness about your brand and increases engagement by asking followers what they like to wear.
8. Promote Your Instagram Account
No matter how often you post or how awesome your content is, you’ll want to promote your Instagram account. You can do that on your other social media accounts and on your marketing material. If you have a business card or email signature, you can include your social media accounts on those. If you send out a weekly/monthly digital newsletter, include your Instagram account somewhere on the newsletter. You can even share your top Instagram photo of the month in your newsletter.
9. Share Your Personality
Instagram is a great way to show who you are, even if you are a business. You can share behind-the-scene moments, add personality to your photo captions and engage with your followers. You should have fun on Instagram and make sure to connect with your followers.
If you have tips on how to grow your Instagram followers, please share in the comments.
Social media is a very powerful tool for businesses. No matter how big or small your company is, if you’re not on social media, you’re missing out on a huge number of potential customers. If you are already on social media, good for you! Now it’s time to take a look at your social media efforts and conduct an honest assessment.
Here are some questions that might help as you take a look at your social media activities:
Do you have a scheduling plan or are you posting at random times on random days?
Do you plan out social media content that aligns with your business priorities and advertising campaigns?
How active are your followers? Do they engage with your content?
Do you monitor your competitors?
Of course these are just a handful of things to consider; however, they will help you understand your current social media efforts and where there are opportunities for improvement.
Whether you’re looking to improve your social media efforts or you’re just starting out, you’ll want to make sure you have a social media strategy. Think of a social media strategy as a blueprint for your social media activities. Without one, you’ll find you lack goals, and ultimately, you may not see the results you hope for. By developing a well-planned-out strategy that aligns with your brand values, your business goals and your social media goals, the chances of success are higher. A social media strategy allows your approach to be serious and strategic.
It Aligns Social Media Activities with Business Goals
If your company sells custom-designed clothing, some of your business goals are likely to be: sell more clothing, acquire new customers and establish your company as the go-to for custom-designed clothing. That said, you’re going to want your social media activities to support those key business goals. Having a strategy requires you to list your business goals and then plan out how your social media efforts will support these goals. Whether it be through content, a customer-service response approach or ad campaigns, a strategy will keep the focus on your business goals and help you stay on track.
It Helps You Choose Channels
It seems like new social media networks are popping up every day. While it may be tempting to jump on the latest trend when it comes to social media, that may be the worst thing you can do for your business. It will stretch you way too thin.
After you assess where your customers are hanging out (which social networks), your social media strategy should include the networks you are going to be active on. If you’re a law firm, chances are you aren’t going to find much success in being active on Instagram; however, if you are an art studio, Instagram may be where you find some of your most loyal customers.
Also, your strategy should include your objectives for each network you are going to have a presence on. For example, objectives for your Facebook page may be to build brand awareness, share a mix of relevant links and promote upcoming events.
It Helps You Set Goals (and Reach Them)
For some people, writing down their goals helps them reach them. The same can be true with a social media strategy. Because it helps guide you and provides direction for all of your activities, having your social media goals in writing, may help you better achieve those goals.
Here are some examples of goals you can include in your strategy:
Define the No. 1 reason you’re using social media.
How will you listen to conversations taking place on social media?
How often will you post on each network?
By including these things in your strategy, you will be able to stay on track and follow the direction you set for your company. The great thing about having a strategy is that if you find you are lacking direction in your day-to-day social media activities, you can always refer back to it.
It Provides a Snapshot of Content You Will Share
Your social media strategy shouldn’t go into detail about your daily posts (that is what a content calendar is for), but it should include the type of content you will share. Let’s go back to the custom-design clothing company. They will likely want to share content that includes custom-designed products for customers, behind-the-scenes moments, new product announcements and even employee spotlights to showcase the company’s talented staff.
Your social strategy can go even one step further and include ways in which you will create that content. Will you use photos, videos, blog posts and graphics? By focusing on the type of content you will share, how often you will post and on which network you will share this great content, you’ll eventually understand what works and what doesn’t.
It Helps Measure Social Media Results
Measuring your social media activities plays a huge role in social success. By continuously monitoring your social media efforts, you can see what is working and where there are opportunities for improvement.
Your social media strategy should spell out the key metrics you want to monitor. From likes, retweets and shares, to comments, new followers and unfollows, you must understand how your followers are interacting with your business on social media. Growing and nurturing relationships with your customers is what will help your success.
You also want to include the ways in which you will listen to conversations taking place on social media, especially those about your brand. Effectively listening to those conversations can be huge when it comes to acquiring new customers or getting ahead of a crisis.
Finally, you will want to monitor your competitors on social media. It’s important to see what they are doing right and what may not be working for them.
Social media is one of the cheapest ways you can increase brand awareness and build relationships; however, it must be done properly in order to be effective. Creating a social media strategy is one of the best places you can start. Remember, a strategy is a blueprint of your activities and will guide you to reaching social media success.
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