Running a business can be very time consuming, so to add on the extra pressure of creating social media content that your audience are going to engage and connect with, can all become quite overwhelming.
In this article I am going to share with you some content ideas that will motivate, inspire, entertain, educate, and help you to connect with your ideal clients.
How Often Should I Post?
Before we start I wanted to answer a question that I am always being asked; How often should I post?
Now I believe that there is no completely right answer for this question other than being consistent.
If you are looking to grow your business, I would recommend posting at least 2-3 times a day including the weekends. However, I also understand that this in not possible for all businesses.
Every business is different so you should plan a content schedule that suits you and your business. Although only posting twice a week or randomly posting will not create enough visibility for your business to be able to grow.
Using scheduling tools may help you to become more consistent with posting your social media content, as you can post for the week ahead and not have to worry about it. However, you will still need to go in and reply to any comments that are left and chat with your audience.
Content Ideas.
There are 8 types of content I would recommend posting for your Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn online business. These include; introductions, sharing your success, educating, videos, telling your stories, asking questions, sales posts and call to actions.
But before you can start on any of these you need to determine your ideal client so you know exactly who you are talking to and can therefore send out a clear message. For more information on defining your ideal customer check out my blog, Finding My Ideal Client.
Introductions.
Introduce yourself, your team, your business, your new products or services. Just keep making those introductions.
And YES! People do want to know.
One of the best ways to build a relationship with your customers is to let them get to know who you are and what you do.
Sharing Your Success.
Sharing your successes can include reviews, testimonials, hitting your goals, awards and nominations.
Sharing this kind of content can tell your audience the quality of your products or services, what it’s like working with you and what type of service to expect.
Educate.
You need to position yourself as the expert, the person that your ideal client knows to come to, to help solve their problem. To do this you can share valuable content such as tips, how to videos, blogs, and information that your audience will find beneficial.
Photo by Lisa from Pexels
Videos.
Social media platforms love video content, as it is so much more engaging for your audience, especially if people can also interact and comment.
Video content is also a great way to build a trusting relationship with your audience, as they get to see the face behind the business, as well as get to know your personality and personal brand.
Here are a few ideas; tell your story, share tips or how to videos, interview your team or other experts.
Tell Your Stories.
Share stories that will inspire and motivate your followers. Stories that will allow your audience to get to know you and your business, and that will allow you to share your values and beliefs.
In any kind of relationship, sharing the same or similar views is really important. Therefore, sharing stories with your ideal clients means that it will be a lot easier to build trust in your relationship and people are always more drawn to people who think like they do.
Examples of stories include; your journey of how you got to be where you are today, industry stories, funny anecdotes, how you have helped people, and popular topics such as international awareness days.
Ask Questions.
Asking questions is a fantastic way to engage with your audience and can be used to suit two pain purposes.
To find out what your audience want, such as ‘what colours would you like me to stock?’ Asking your audience this type of question, shows them that you care and value their opinions. This in turn helps to build your relationship.
The second type of question can entertain and create engagement, which helps to increase visibility. For example, you could ask your audience whether they prefer tea or coffee, what flavour cake is their favourite or ask them to take part in a game.
Sales Posts.
A lot of business owners struggle to share sales posts, which is absolutely crazy because at the end of the day, this is why we are in business! To offer a service and to sell.
It is recommended that we share 80% value and 20% sales posts. Therefore, for every 5 posts, 4 should be of value such as tips, quotes, stories and testimonials and 1 should be a sales post.
Call To Action.
When you are posting on your business social media platform, you will be identifying your customers problems and offering them a solution.
Whatever way you are intending to help your ideal client, always remember to let your customers know how to take further action, such as providing an email address, a telephone number or a direction to message you.
Do I Need a Content Plan?
I would definitely recommend planning your content and scheduling as much as possible. This will help you to achieve consistency in showing up and your audience will start to learn when certain posts will be shared, such as Tuesday Tips or Saturday Stories.
For more tips on planning your content check out my blog; How to Create a Content Plan.
When Should I Post Certain Types of Content?
To start I would try sharing motivational and educational posts during the day and keeping sales post to the evenings when people have more time to scroll, read and purchase.
However, ultimately you will have to look at and analyse your social media insights and see when your audience are most active.
In this article I have shared 8 different types of content which I feel are imperative to incorporate into your weekly social media content plan for your business. I have also tried to answer common questions I am often asked when working with clients.
If you would like more help with planning and writing your social media content, send me a message for more information on my one-to-one mentoring service.
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