by Karen Petrauskas | Nov 30, 2022
Struggling to create engagement on social media?
Are you wondering what the secret is to gaining engagement on social media – if you’ve tried everything and nothing works, if you’re fed up with going round in circles and not getting the results you desire – it’s time to stop and take stock, re-evaluate, and regain focus. There is no magic formula to get the engagement flowing on social media, but there are things you can do to encourage it and to build your network.
It’s no secret that videos on social media are a good for business, but what happens when you don’t like to put yourself out there in front of a camera?
– Do what feels right for you.
Yes, videos do help build on engagement, but they don’t have to be cheesy. Video marketing is number one for social media marketing, if you’re not already using it, we encourage you to build it into your marketing plan. If you are already using video in your marketing, there are always ways to grow and improve to get a bigger and better impact.
Video marketing will help increase leads, get your audience talking and interacting, give more opportunity for your content to be shared and overall will be a good strategy to use for a small businesses looking to scale.
Our top tips for creating engagement goes way beyond a 60 second dance or lip sync and will keep your professionalism looking good! *Note, you do not have to be a copycat and look silly on TikTok to increase your following (unless you want to of course!) – stay sane with our more manageable strategies!
Plus, these can be engineered to work both on camera and through static graphics – pleasing both worlds and giving you the option of mixing things up and getting a little creative.
Top Tips for increasing engagement on social media
#1️ Be consistent.
Always show up when you’re expected. If you create daily content, create daily content. Don’t try it for a week and give up the next. Always find a balance to what you can do and what works, and stick to it. If you’re starting with video marketing for the first time, create a plan of what you intend to do over the course of a week / a month. Plan the days you’re going to create the videos, as well as the days they will be posted. You can ‘batch’ create if it’s easier and spend a chunk of time producing lots of content, which can be split up and made into individual posts for a period of time. Or you can create one video at a time as you go.
Social media videos do not need to be polished, they just need to be authentic – be you 🙂 Know what you want to say, make notes if you need to, and hit the record button. Choose a filter or sticker which goes well with your image, and be consistent in using those in subsequent videos.
Tip: Don’t go all in too quickly. You can build up to more content, but make a realistic plan of how much content you are able to produce so that it’s not too much pressure to keep up.
#2️ Add value.
This goes without saying. Everything you produce, say or do, should add value to the recipient or the audience. Your followers follow you for a reason, why do they keep coming back? Because they know what they’re going to get and they appreciate what you offer. By going above and beyond their expectations, you give them more reason to show up.
Always give more than expected; under estimate, over produce. You audience will grow and be receptive when they realise the value they get from your content.
#3️ Keep on brand.
Your brand is your identity, it makes you unique and stand out in a crowded room. Create content that is easily recognisable and true to your mission.
How can you showcase your brand?
What can you share that promotes your brand?
How can you incorporate your brand into everyday life without a pushy sales line on every post?
What makes you unique?
What’s your mission and what visions do your have?
#4 Solve problems.
People are searching and seeking for answers. Here’s your chance to help someone. Understand your audience and give them answers or solutions.
Use video to talk about the pain points people are going through, how you can help them see a solution?
Demonstrate work-arounds, problem solving, ideas and inspiration.
Showcase your wins – how they have happened and what you did to get there.
Be relatable to your audience and let them see that they are not alone.
#5️ Create eye-catching content.
There’s no point in creating content that no one sees. It’s a waste of your valuable time and it benefits no one. So, how do you create content that people notice?
What would you want to see if you were on the other side? What would make you stop and look? This is where you start, step into their shoes and visualise what it is that would make you stop scrolling.
Stickers, filters, music, captions, colour, branding… all these things come together, when done right, to create eye-catching material that is ready for your ideal customer.
Find your style, find what works for your audience, research what other people are doing and make your own version in line with what you do.
#6️ Be passionate.
Absolutely! If you don’t love what you’re doing, why should anyone else? This is your chance to share your passions, your ambitions, your desires, your visions, your goals… and to make a difference. Love your social channels, the followers, the people who interact – and give them a reason to love your brand too.
Be enthusiastic in your videos, smile in your photos, let the happiness bounce off the post. When you love what you’re doing, you give your audience reason to love you too! They’ll want to interact and engage, they’ll want to get to know you and build rapport, and they’ll want to share what you have to say with others who are looking for the same.
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When you start to implement a dynamic strategy into your marketing, and follow these basic rules about how to find relevant and interested parties – then you will see results happen. And if you’re not sure where to start or how to do any of these things… ask!
Are you ready to take action?
If you’re still unsure about how to get started, now is the perfect opportunity to schedule a call and talk to us. We’re here to help your business get off the ground, gain exposure and get positive recognition. Let’s go – get in touch today!
Speak soon.
by Karen Petrauskas | Sep 30, 2021
Struggling with WHAT to POST on your social channels?
How much time do you waste thinking about what to write and create, when you could be spending the time busy in your business or doing something you love?!
This is where planning and preparation comes in.
Planning out your content will really help get you on track with creating awesome eye-catching, inspiring and motivational posts that attract your audience 100% and get them interacting with you and your brand, turning them into loyal and repeat customers.
Do you use a content calendar?
👉🏻 First, get a blank monthly calendar where you have space to fill in (you can message us to get our copy if it helps)
👉🏻 Then use our awesome awareness days calendar (free here) and find the days that you know your audience will resonate. Put them in the calendar and start to think about how you write content around those days ensuring that it is relevant to your followers.
👉🏻 Do you use hashtag days? #MondayMotivation for example.. schedule in a few of these and write a note with each one to get your mind already thinking about what type of post it will be.
👉🏻 The next steps is to fill in intermittent blocks with content that relates to your own business. This could be taken from your blog, your services or the expertise you can share.
👉🏻 Next you want to curate content from other reputable and reliable sources which you know would be beneficial to your audience. What sites do you read? Pass on what you like and plan a few of these posts across the month
You’ll then realise that there’s not many spaces left in your content calendar! And it probably didn’t take you much time in the grand scheme of your week. The next step would be to write the posts and get them scheduled in – but this could always be done another day – plan some time in during the week to do this.
Ongoing social media plan
Each month, if you take time to plan and prepare, it takes away the pressure of finding content on a daily basis. You can mix and match the types of material you use, you can switch up the amount of awareness day that go in, and you can take inspiration from other things that are going on around you.
If you plan time to create your images, you may find that other things come to mind at the same time. When you don’t rush, there’s time to think things through and ensure that they’re completely on brand and following your values. When you rush, there’s more chance that you’ll use content just for the sake of it – that’s never a good plan and can easily result in your brand identity falling down.
What if you don’t enjoy content creation?
That’s ok – we all have the things that we love and the things that we’re good at – if we were all the same the world would be a very boring place! Sometimes you can be better off concentrating on what you’re best at, and finding someone else to do the bits in between. As a small business owner, you can’t do everything! Outsourcing or hiring at Virtual Assistant to fill these gaps can be an efficient way to move forward. Marketing is such an important part of your business and if you haven’t got the time to do a good job, it’s not going to the job it’s supposed to do.
Whatever your situation, social media planning is the best plan to creating a sustainable and growing channel. Plan ahead and get creative! Give it a go and let us know how you get on. And if you have any tips on finding WHAT to post across your social channels, drop a comment below.
Alternatively, if you’re still struggling to come up with content that is engaging and on-brand, or simply don’t have the time or resource to do it to a good standard, or even more – want to see bigger and better results than you’re currently getting – we’d love to chat with you. Hit the contact button and give us a bell and let’s see how we can work together.
by Karen Petrauskas | Nov 30, 2018
Are you wondering how to write social media content that creates conversions? Do you want to create copy that people can’t wait to share? There is a knack to writing sales copy but to achieve that you’ll need to follow some basic steps. Your efforts in social media want to maximise the ROI for your posts and create content that speaks directly to your readers in order to see results.
Be your brand
You are the voice behind your brand. Every business has their own tone of voice and their own way of communicating with their audiences. When users scroll through their social media feeds, they should be able to recognise your brand immediately.
When you understand and know your audience, you can write your copy tailored to them. Know what tone of voice they like and respond to, grasp the words and call to actions that they engage with, and run with this throughout your content.
Ad copy length is important
Whilst writing a blog can be hundreds of words, a Twitter post cannot. Each post needs to reflect the platform that it is being posted on and content tweaked to reflect the audience that will be seeing the posts.
Sometimes 5-10 words can say much more than a string of sentences that may make people switch off.
There are different trains of thoughts on whether short copy or long copy is best but at the end of the day, if you test both, your audience will help you decide what works best for your business. Split test your posts and ads to try different methods.
The most important thing is that you want your audience to respond and engage with your copy, so listening to them will give you the upper hand.
Split testing can be expensive if you’re a smaller business with a small budget (and competing against larger organisation), but it’s still worth trying a few examples to see what works best – every business is different.
Mix content
No one can argue that great visuals convert but having great copy to go with visuals pushes you to another level.
If your visuals are great but your grammar or spelling is awful, your business will look unprofessional and shoppers will pass you by. If you’re not great at the written word, ask someone to check over your copy. There’s absolutely no harm in doing this, in fact, we encourage it to ensure that ad copy is professional and correct. You wouldn’t send off a job application without checking for mistakes, so why send out social media content that is incorrect?
If you create a social media calendar and schedule all posts in that calendar, another pair of eyes can look over that calendar prior to posts being created. A simple Excel spreadsheet is a cheap and easy way to achieve it.
Also, an image shows what you’re talking about, but the copy or text will give the call to action and tells the user what to do next. This is an important part of the sales funnel. Create great content but don’t give a call to action and users will find somewhere else to go after they’ve finished with your content.
Sell but don’t sell
You don’t want to come across too pushy in your content or posts. You’re there to offer value to your readers by giving them something they can take away and utilise. You can incorporate your sales into the way you speak. Remember to keep this within your tone of voice and branding, so that your readers who already know and love your style will listen.
If you’ve already built up a relationship with your audience, they will be used to the way that you write, the way that you approach subjects, and the way that you come across when you have something to offer. They’re loyal customers because they like your style. Stick to that in all your copy, allow your personality to come through with whatever it is you are promoting.
Be mindful of ‘how’ you speak
If your content is full of lots of CAPITAL letters and exclamation marks, you sound and look like you are shouting. Does this way of speaking portray your brand correctly? Is this how you would speak to someone you were talking to face to face?
Be mindful of how you come across in your social media content, whether that be sales copy or everyday posts, your manner is important to your audience.
Be mindful of ‘who’ you’re speaking to
Understand your audience. We say this in so many of our posts but that’s because it is so important. You wouldn’t speak to your family in a way they didn’t like or relate to. So why do it with your audience? And each audience is different. If you’re creating content for your Facebook followers, the tone of voice and relationships are going to be different to those you connect with on SnapChat for example. Just bear in mind who you’re trying to reach and create beautiful content that they will love.
Trigger emotions to get an effect
Research has shown that posts and content that trigger emotions have a higher reaction rate. Use headlines that outline positive outcomes or create curiosity and you will gain more traction than other posts. Being able to make a reader say WOW after they’ve read a post is a great achievement and will usually result in reactions or shares. Our emotions drive us to share with others, we want our friends to experience the same feelings as we do and by sharing content that heightens these emotions, we feel a sense of satisfaction and clarity and is a dominating factor when it comes to sharing social content.
Make your headlines count
If you’ve not got a great headline, you won’t get the interaction you desire. People read a headline before they see the content below, so if your headline does not grab the attention of your reader at first glance, there will find more opportunity further down their news feed for something that will.
Headlines are a vital part of your sales copy. You need to make an impression, you need to add value, you need to offer something they are interested in. Does your headline tell the reader why they should continue reading? Are they compelled to take action or to engage? Ask questions that will get their attention. If you’re not happy with the headline that you’ve come up with, try again, and again. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to create the perfect headline, it matters what the headline says when it’s published and how it’s going to impact a reader.
Cut out what you don’t need
People are busy and the increasing use of mobile devices and wifi spots at every corner facilitate society being able to grab snippets of information and then move on. Waffle within your content will not sell. Truth and fact, to the point, will. Therefore, within your headline and content, you need to be precise and deliver what your audience wants to hear, not everything that surrounds it and engaging them in a journey that will allow them to learn more about you and your business and to discover what they can get from you or your content.
Tell a great story
Readers love a great story and will engage better with a story that is worth something than a post that’s created just to fill a gap for that day’s content. But stories don’t have to be long and boring, they can be mixed up with video and images, they can be portrayed by keywords rather than sentences. Remember you are trying to dig into emotions and your story doesn’t have to be a stand-alone piece of content, you can make stories into so much more by creating regular content, content blocks and using your imagination to interact with your audience.
There are many ways to create the perfect social media content for your business and the above are just a few to consider. Always use your analytics tools to steer you in the right direction and to know your audience better. Understanding your audience is key to engagement and conversions on social media. By utilising analytical tools, you can see what works and what doesn’t, saving time, money and resource.
Get your copy correct and you’re flying!
Great content and social media is our thing here at KJP Creative – if you’d like help putting together content that will convert for your business, get in touch and let’s see your social media energised.
