It seems we have ‘a day’ for everything these days, I’m not talking about the national days that we have all come to recognise and support in our own ways – I mean the ridiculous ‘who came up with that?’ days. But this one I can really get behind…today is Social Media Day! Admittedly, every day is social media day for us, it’s what we do – what we love. Social Media Day was launched on 30^th June 2010 by Mashable as a way to celebrate all things social media. It could be easy to fall into the trap of posting for the sake of posting on a day like today, but remember – make sure when posting on social media from a business perspective you are adding value, otherwise – what’s point? Here are my tips to ensure you are creating good value content.

WHY SO SERIOUS?

Now, I’m not saying every post you curate has to be formal or corporate, let’s be honest – if you did that things would get a bit boring pretty quickly. You can use social media to create content that entertains, educates, engages and inspires while still delivering value within your message. One of the key things I tell clients is to lead with value, but what does that mean from a marketing perspective?

NO ONE WANTS TO BE SOLD TO

In simple terms, when creating content you shouldn’t focus on direct selling – no one likes to be sold to! Instead, your primary goal as a content creator is to provide value and serve your ideal clients. Understanding their interests and behaviours is crucial to connecting with them on a deeper level. By getting inside their minds and seeing the world from their perspective, you can identify the questions they have and the concerns they need to resolve. Your role is to offer answers and reassurance, positioning yourself as a valuable resource.

When we prioritise delivering value in this way, something amazing happens. Our audience naturally grows organically. From this growing audience, we cultivate loyal followers and advocates who not only want to buy from us, but also enthusiastically recommend our products or services.

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED

I totally get it. I’m completely transparent about the fact that I dislike writing these blogs. Long form content isn’t my favourite thing to do, which can make it challenging to stay motivated. (Ask the team about how much I complain every single week!) However, I’ve found a strategy that works for me. I prioritise the creation process and once a blog is published, I swiftly shift my focus to the next article in line. It’s a continuous cycle of creating, publishing, and moving on to the next piece, keeping the momentum going – consistency, as with everything in the realm of marketing, is key.

CONTENT CREATION

Let’s think of this blog as a valuable asset – that’s how we should view the content we produce. Its relevance extends beyond the present moment, lasting for days, weeks, and even years to come. I’ll refer to it during presentations, share it repeatedly on social media, and link to it from other things I create. I’ll review our blogs every 6-12 months and tweak as necessary; the beauty of evergreen content is it can be repurposed time and time again. (Or perhaps just once a year in this case!)

SOCIAL MEDIA POST IDEAS

Whether you’re posting on a personal or business account, trust me when I say our 75 ideas of things to post cheat sheet of will be a total lifesaver. You’ll never have to worry about running out of social media content ideas again. Take a look through the list and I guarantee you’ll find inspiration.

VIDEO CONTENT – FEAR IT, BUT DO IT ANYWAY

When we talk to our clients and raise the subject of video, you can see the level of fear on most people’s faces – especially if it’s something they’ve never done before. I think we all have this idea in our heads that there is a long line of people just waiting for us to fail, and that’s simply not true. Keep it simple. Use don’t need a big production – use your smart phone. The camera’s on our phones these days are more than sufficient. Don’t over tech it. And if you get stuck on how to structure your video, our 5 tips blog will guide you through https://www.green-umbrella.biz/five-tips-for-business-videos/ 

One final thing – have fun with it.

Happy social media day folks!