Just about every company in the world has a few social media sites, but that doesn’t mean that they are doing it right. Some companies are getting bigger because of it and posting content that is awesome, but the majority of the companies out there have no clue what they are doing and it’s more of a turn off than anything. If you don’t know the right things to say or you are posting the same boring promotional content all the time then you are probably hurting your company more than helping it.
Stop losing opportunities and making a fool out of yourself. Instead, start building your fan base and counting your money. Here is a solid little list of 5 things you can do that will dramatically improve your social media swag.
1. Be a real person. Talk like a real person.
You are a human being running a social media account. You are not you company running a social media account. When you refer to your company, say things like “we” or “I” instead of your companies name. It’s really not even a matter of sounding professional anymore and it just sounds like you are trying too hard. People see through that. Also, be talkative with your following on social media. You will get way more engagement that way. You are never too important or busy to talk to your fans or customers. And if you think you are, then you’re still wrong and your social media pages are probably better off failing anyway.
2. Don’t be afraid to be funny. People like to laugh.
Ok, we get it. You’re a super cool business man who got the company from your dad and your tie costs more than my whole outfit. Guess what? No one cares, I’m still funnier than you, and people would rather give me money instead. Don’t be afraid to break out of your corporate comfort zone and let your sense of humor shine. You don’t want to be viewed as uptight and old fashioned. If you make people laugh, or at least show them that you are a real person with a real sense of humor, it makes people feel more connected. Not only that, but it literally just makes people want to follow all of your pages more and also feel good about doing business with you.
3. Avoid corporate lingo.
You don’t have to worry about impressing people with big words! If they are interacting with you and following you then they are probably already impressed. You should always try to come off as a real, friendly person that people can relate to. You should be approachable! Social media is one place where small talk is actually super valuable. Plus, using all that fancy corporate jargon is a quick and efficient way to make people lose interest in what they’re reading.
4. Address people by name.
It is super important to address people you are talking to by name on social media. People like to feel important. Not only that, but it is just super cool when people from the big companies you like actually acknowledge you. It makes people think you are really cool and down to earth, and it will drive others to interact with you when they see you are open to that sort of thing. This alone can grow you business a lot.
5. Share content in real time.
If you are running a lot of different social media sites for your business, you HAVE to schedule some of your posts. That is just real life. BUT, my friends, nothing can ever beat spur of the moment updates. Real info in real time can keep people informed about new things that are happening right now, and it also gives you a chance to use some of those people skills and humor that we talked about earlier. Keep your scheduled posts… But make sure scheduled stuff doesn’t make up the majority of your stream.
I think the trend here is pretty obvious. If you want to build your brand on social media and increase business the one thing people need to see is that you are a real, genuine person and not some corporate robot auto-tweeting things or posting bland, generic posts. Follow these tips and you will be well on your way to growing your business in no time!
Content originally published here
