Coming up with fresh, interesting and on-brand social media content each week can be a time-consuming process for many businesses. Making sure your messaging is consistent and engaging can feel a little overwhelming and monitoring and responding to posts can feel like you’re chained to your computer. Take control of your social media with these seven tips for producing engaging social media content.

Know why you’re posting

Every post should have an objective. Are you sharing your latest menu update so your followers share with their friends? Do you want your followers to visit your website to book in a last-minute dinner? Perhaps you want to show off some pics that an influencer took on the weekend to give your business more credibility. It’s important to always have an objective in mind.

Open a dialogue with your followers

Unlike advertising, social media should always be two way, so don’t be afraid to start a conversation with your followers. Ask them what they think about your latest spring/summer collection, find out what they’d like to see on your menu for winter. Remember, social media can be a great marketing research tool too.

Keep your tone of voice consistent

Your brand should have one tone of voice and this should reflect in all forms of communication. If you’re witty and humourous on your website but your social media tone is formal and uptight, there’s a clear disconnect with your brand messaging. Make sure that anyone who has access to the social media accounts knows your language. It might even be helpful to put together a style guide to ensure consistency.

Go easy on the sell

Too many brands rely heavily on social media to sell their products or services. Social media is a relationship builder. It helps create a perception of your brand and allows you to interact with your followers. Yes, you want them to spend money on your products, but before you convince them to do that, you need to entice them in. Think about who you follow on your personal feed. If you’re sick of sales talk and the hard sell, chances are your customers are too.

Include user-interest posts

So if you’re not selling, what are you posting? It’s best to mix it up. Give your followers what they like – whether it be funny quotes or tips, inspirational posts that resonate with your brand or interesting behind-the-scenes posts of staff – keep it fresh and think outside the square. And if your followers tag you in their posts, ask them if you can share the content. After all, they’re doing the hard work for you and it’s going to look even more credible coming from someone who has posted about your business because they wanted to.

Make sure you monitor your account

There’s an expectation from your followers that your account is being monitored. If someone writes in with a question, they expect a response – and more often than not, in a timely manner. That doesn’t mean you need to check your account every 5 minutes but allocating half an hour each day for responding to comments will help you get into a good routine.

Get to know your platforms

Got Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Youtube and Pinterest? That’s great but how do you plan on using them? It’s important that you know what each platform is intended for and how best to use it to communicate to your followers. Instagram is best used for photo sharing and showcasing strong visuals, whereas Facebook is great for you to share articles or blog posts. If you’re repeatedly posting the same content to each platform you’re not targeting your audience in the best way. Also, remember social media is time consuming and not every brand requires every platform, so do your research and use your time wisely.

For tailored advice on managing your business social media accounts and strategy, send us an email hello@foxandfleur.com.au