BEING RELEVANT: Let me teach you how to create highly engaging social media content

One of the challenges that businesses today face is the development of a key and effective strategy that will surely bring in desired results — when we say results we mean increased interaction, a wider share of the market, more loyal customers, etc. The idea here is to be able to create world class content that will surely knock the socks of your intended audience — and we don’t mean generate attention but really get them mighty interested to join the discussion.

Over the years, I have managed to understand what clicks and what doesn’t in terms of social media content. Sticking to these pointers have given me the ability to being heard above the noise and invite interaction from my intended audiences.

IMAGES ARE KING

Use of an image will always trump the use of long text on any social media post. Why bother reading through tons of text when a simple image will surely convey the message clearly. Be creative and make use of images that will reach out and speak to the audience — ultimately resulting in more likes and yes, even comments.

USE YOUR OWN STUFF

Here’s a complementing rule to the first pointer — always use your own pictures. Do not rely on stock photos because the end results will not be the ones you originally intended it to be.

EVERYBODY LOVES STATS AND NUMBERS

The use of infographics, showcasing timely statistics and figures, is bound to get people’s attention. Surprise, surprise, but recent industry reports have shown that people actually remember visual information 65 per cent more than a long body of text posted on social media.

TESTIMONIALS HELP REINFORCE YOUR BRAND

Using a customer testimonial or a positive review is an excellent way to convey information about a product or a service that you offer. Remember that consumers today are in the habit of reading and looking at reviews to the see the pros and cons of a product or service.

HOST CONTESTS AND COMPETITIONS

Everybody loves free stuff so why not create a fun activity like contests to ensure increased interaction. Ask users to tag and like, leave a comment or share original content — all for the promise of winning an attractive prize in the end.

COLLABORATE WITH INFLUENCERS AND CELEBRITIES

Here’s another surefire tip to ensure key interaction — use quotes from leading influencers and celebrities and tag them with a link to your content. It’s a win-win situation as you are both gaining attention from your respective audiences.

HASHTAG AWAY

One important complement to highly engaging social media content is the use of the right hashtag. When properly used, hashtags can usher your business into a wider audience.

BE CURRENT

Another tip to follow is to showcase that you also care and mind about the same issues and topics that your audience is concerned with. Develop the ability to respond to current events and find a way to connect it with your brand.

I am no expert but, like I earlier pointed out, these tips have helped me bring in positive results for the brands I have handled. It is always best to remember that the end goal here is to be able to come up with high engagement across these social media channels — connecting yourself with your target audiences via a more human-like and interactive way.