In my last post I handled the topic of ways people get it wrong on social media. Today, let’s take a look at the other side of the coin. Here are 6 ways people get it right on social media.
Effectively communicate your brand
The best social media brands (personal or corporate) do an excellent job of enhancing the brand that they’ve created offline. They have defined what they want people to think about them and keep that in the front of their mind with every post. These brands are aware of the experience they want people to have when they interact with them, and they make sure that they deliver.
Focused
Those who are doing it right aren’t casting a wide net. They have a specific audience (clients, prospects, niche industry, group, etc) that they want to target, and they aim their presence at them. Instead of trying to appeal to the masses, they set a specific goal to appeal to their desired audience. For example, my friend Larry Linne, is a CEO advisor. He provides information and interacts with executives at the C-level. Chelsea Krost, on the other hand, has found a fantastic niche in the Millenial market. Their focus has lead to them building a very strong brand with their audiences.
Give more than they get
The best of the best are tuned into their audience’s station of WIIFM (what’s in it for me?). Instead of a self-serving model, they understand what their audience wants and needs, and then delivers advice to help them. As HubSpot describes it, they produce remarkable content – content that is exceptional and also makes people want to remark, or share it. This approach is very different from the ‘look at my new product’ or ‘please endorse me’ mentality.
Entertaining
You don’t need to be a comedian or clown, but your social media has to be information that engages people. This is especially true if you are in a boring industry. Your audience doesn’t care about your industry jargon or technical skill. They want useable information that keeps them coming back for more.
Right fit
Just like the work/life balance, social media doesn’t need to consume every minute of your day. Most of us aren’t professional social media experts or power users. Your social media presence needs to enhance your offline activity without distracting from your goals.
SOCIAL
Your social media presence needs to be just that – SOCIAL. The same way you interact and network offline needs to be done online. The best approach is to truly care about your connections. Show them that you care by interacting with the things that they post that are of interest to you.
There is no magic pill to social media, but taking the advice above and emulating some of the best online brands will help you get ahead in this digital world.