Stand out, Be fresh and create your own story!
On Twitter, people are so quick to retweet other people’s blog posts or highlight something in the news. I get very tired of a post on Mashable being retweeted hundreds of times in the same hour. Some people have gone so far as to post the latest news story. Same for Linkedin, Facebook and Google Plus.
Now, I am not saying you should not comment or repost other people’s content, but if you ever want to stand on your own, you need to show what you know! If you are not creating your own story or fresh content, my question is why should I follow you. Anyone can share someone else’s story. Creating your own story takes work, but it’s a must if you are going to stand out from the crowd!
If you want to make a difference write about topics that are not mainstream news. I really believe that is why the Midwest Laboratories Blog site is so successful. There are hundreds of topics ranging from science to food to the economy. All the stories have some type of relationship back to our company and our clients. The site may not get the 1,000 ‘s of retweets or mentions, but the people who read it are regular readers on the site and they come back each day. See yesterday’s post (“Marketing to the right people on social media“)
Here are a few suggestions!
Sharing
If you are going to retweet someone’s posts, edit the tweet and add some short comments at the beginning of the tweet. This way, people will see your comments regarding a particular tweet or link.
If you want people to notice your work, state some type of action. Some examples: (This is a must read for marketers) (Read this post and see if you agree)
Never post anything negative about someone’s tweet or link. It isn’t worth it and it can ultimately have a devastating effect on future information you share.
Creating Content
Really look for topics that no one is addressing. This kind of content is very refreshing.
Talk about your own experience. People like to hear concrete examples of how people are using social media platforms to better communicate their message.
Keep your points short and easy to remember! People like short, concise to the point information.
Also, add an image to every post you create on your site. It is amazing how people’s first attention is drawn to an image. Select your image with care.