Five Ways to Create More Engaging Social Media Content

To be taken seriously as a modern-day business, you must have a social media presence. But to leverage your social media following into a sales generating engine, it is vital to create consistently engaging content on your platforms of choice. There are myriad reasons for why this is, but one area where businesses both large and small often struggle is that which involves creating consistently engaging content.

While creating great content may seem like a daunting task that takes up time and resources, and let’s be clear, it can be, the good news is this can be done and it’s not just important you do it, it’s vital for the long-term survival of any serious business.

Here is a checklist to keep in mind before you ever press “post” on your company’s professional pages:   

1). Deliver value.

If you want prospective customers to interact with your page and brand you need to give them a reason to interact with you in the first place. Are you telling a joke worth sharing? Are you giving away a piece of information that will enhance someone’s life which will compel them to like it? Are you being entertaining to the point that it’s worth commenting on what you wrote? You don’t need to answer yes, obviously, to all these questions but when you ask yourself, “does this post deliver value?”, your answer always needs to be “yes.”

2). Don’t ignore trending content.

While uncovering and/or predicting trending content that will deliver return on investment will likely take a professional, there are still steps you can take to insert your company’s voice into a global conversation. Using specific and commonly used hashtags, that are also being used by your prospective clients, is one way to do this. For example, on Thursday, try posting a photo that shows something memorable which happened in your company’s past with the hashtag #ThrowbackThursday. The hashtag has been used millions of times over the years and will allow a new network of users who click on it to see the content you have created. There are myriad other hashtags like this that can also be used.

3). Make sure your content stands out.

Social media is filled with content that looks the same, even though being different is what will truly lead to increased engagement. While online content tools, like Canva, are user-friendly programs, avoid using their most popular designs and templates. While your information or call to action may be different than what is being offered by another company that used the same template, and don’t get us wrong, Canva specifically is a great free tool, you’ll risk being lost in the shuffle.  

4). Don’t look like you’re advertising.

This tip truly warrants its own blog article, but in short, the average consumer has become desensitized to blatant advertising and will go to great lengths to avoid interacting with ads (can you blame them?). While at its core, social media marketing is advertising, you need to take a step back and ask yourself, “does what I am about to post look like an ad?” If that answer is yes, go back to the drawing board.

5). Take part in the conversation.   

While your business page should have a clear voice and personality all its own, at the end of the day it is a faceless entity. As social media is all about connection and interaction, don’t be afraid to take part in the conversation yourself. If you see folks commenting on your post, thank them for their words and offer your own take. This shows your prospective customers you care about what they have to say and will also likely help increase your engagement rate, putting your post in front of even more eyeballs.  

There is no debate that social media is a beast that must be fed, a reality that won’t be going away. However, creating content that no one is engaging with is a waste of time, resources, and may reflect negatively on your brand. We also know, for even stellar content to consistently take off, it takes algorithmic and marketing expertise, like that which Five Seasons Media offers. That said, regardless of where your company is at in their social media game, this checklist will help begin to move your efforts in the right direction and help maximize your digital reach.  

This blog article was written by Five Seasons Media’s Chief Creative Officer, Josh Scheinblum. For questions about how Five Seasons Media can help your organization, please contact Josh via email at Josh@5SeasonsMedia.com.