Whether you are new to social media or have been posting since you had to decide who was going to be on your “Top 8,” connecting with your audience is a must. Those that have been able to tap into the power of social media often find that the small things are the best way to connect with their audience and help it grow.

Sure, having a video go viral can be a great boost, but it is a long shot and shouldn’t be relied upon for a well rounded social media marketing strategy. Instead of trying to create that one magic moment that will provide 15 seconds of fame, try these simple steps.

Writing Strategies for Social Media

In many ways, social media flies in the face of conventional writing. Rules are more like loose guidelines and open the door for more natural conversations. Yes data and well researched information is helpful, but social media is a far cry from writing for an accredited business journal.

Make It Casual

People connect with people, and they can easily pick up when someone is putting on a false front. The best course of action is to simply be yourself. If you are sarcastic in real life, be sarcastic online. Maybe avoid dropping F-bombs, but have fun with creating your online presence.

The more genuine that you can be, the more your audience will gravitate towards your message. When they engage, don’t be afraid to be yourself. 

Get Personal

When building a personal brand, every person worries about keeping their business and personal life separate. In my experience, the best thing that you can do is to make it personal. This will enhance your writing, make it easier for others to relate to your message, and open the door for engagement.

Will there be the one off trolls that say to keep your personal side off of certain platforms? Sure. But remember that people do business with people that they like and can identify with. Don’t be afraid to show them a little more than your business side.

Research, Research, Research

Writing this article from a position backed by over a decade worth of sales experience, if you are going to leverage social media as a sales/marketing tool, you need to be well researched. The worst thing that you can do is throw out statistics or information that is not backed up by reputable sources. Doing so can destroy your credibility and cause your audience to crumble.

Chances are you know which of your industry publications are reputable and which ones might be less reliable. Both have their place in social media and can spark conversations so don’t be afraid to use them in different ways. Lean on the more reliable sources and use the others to pose questions to your audience.

Devote Time to Replies

Arguably the catalyst that is most frequently overlooked in social media is replying to comments. If you are dedicating your time to creating great content, you should also be dedicating time to responding when your audience engages.

Comments help in a variety of ways, but most importantly, most social media algorithms place a high priority on engagement and will help you connect the dots and get in front of more people.

Check Your Spelling and Grammar

Don’t be a fool, use spelling and grammar tools. Few things will negatively impact your credibility faster than poor grammar and misspelled words. The goal is to write at an 8th grade reading level, not write like a kindergartener.

Soooo now would probably be a good time to bring up that we sell social media content and growth packages. We didn’t really want to, but after seeing what a lot of agencies offer, we forbid our clients to engage with that nonsense. If you feel like your social media could use an uplift, we can help. Our packages include competitive analysis, copywriting, creative (videos, photos, graphics), hashtags, engagement hours and monthly reporting. Real growth, achieved by real humans, by communicating really well. Note: we specialize in growth on Instagram, Tik-Tok, and LinkedIn but offer social as well on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. Contact Joy if you want to talk about it.

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