Navigating the Social Media Maze
The world of social media is a constant battle for the spotlight. Countless brands scramble to grab consumer attention using all sorts of gimmicks—eye-candy grids, kooky ads, comical reels… you name it. It’s a never-ending quest to stand out.
While there’s no one true formula for success, one thing can help you elevate your social media game—a solid content strategy. In this blog, we’ll share tips for creating a content strategy that commands attention in the social media realm.
Comb Through The Clutter
Think of your social media accounts like a virtual closet. Before you start adding shiny new things, you should take stock of what you already have. The same goes for social media content. You need to declutter—aka audit your content—before starting anew. Why is this necessary?
Auditing your current content helps you pinpoint what’s working and what’s not. Aside from telling you how your content has been performing, it also helps you uncover “missed opportunities.” You might stumble upon buzzy topics or hot trends that didn’t make it into your content plan but have become ideal to share with your audience.
When you perform a content audit, you also discover which posts and topics resonate most with your audience, helping you identify messaging areas that you can capitalize on to generate more engagement on social media.
Tune in to the Conversation
It’s important to understand who your audience really is—not just where they live, what they do, or how much they make but also how they behave on social media, what topics interest them, or what their pain points are.
Unfortunately, you won’t find this type of information just lying around. You have to roll up your sleeves and dig for it. And just like treasure hunters use an arsenal of implements, you shouldn’t head out empty-handed. Arm yourself with the right tools—those specifically designed for social listening.
Social listening tools allow you to unlock a treasure trove of insights about your target consumer, such as what they’re saying about your brand, what their opinions are about certain topics, or what content formats most resonate.
They also help you stay up-to-date on trending topics and spot emerging trends that can inform your content strategy. And social listing tools typically provide more valuable information than in-app analytics tools combined. So as much as you can, invest in social listening tools like HootSuite, SproutSocial, Keyhole, Buffer, Brandwatch, and Zoho to get a more exhaustive view of your audience.
Crack the Hashtag Code
We all know that hashtags are essential. But what’s the best way to leverage them? Many brands like to ride on generic, over-used hashtags, thinking they bring in valuable traffic. But that’s far from the truth.
When using hashtags, you have to be very intentional. Stay away from common, broad hashtags because you run the risk of your getting lost in a sea of irrelevant posts. Use niche-specific hashtags to help you reach a more engaged and targeted audience on social media.
Research relevant hashtags in your industry and incorporate them into your posts to increase your discoverability organically. You can use social listening tools like SproutSocial and HootSuite to see the list of hashtags that are trending and relevant to your brand. There are also tools like SEMrush, WordStream, Google Keyword Planner, and Moz that take hashtag research to the next level.
Go Beyond the Mold
People have different tastes… in food, clothing, music, and even content. You can say that each person has a unique appetite for information. That’s why variety is extremely important in crafting content for social media. When you diversify your content, you make sure there's something for everyone.
So don’t be afraid to play with different formats, topics, and approaches to make sure your content engages a broad range of people. Throw some reels here and there, feature user-generated content that best reflects your brand, or start polls and live streams as part of your social media campaigns.
Diversifying your content doesn’t just boost social media engagement, it also helps foster trust. When you showcase some variety in your content, you’ll be able to grab the attention of your audience as trends evolve and emerge. It leaves the impression that you’re adaptable. By consistently delivering fresh and diverse content, you keep your audiences engaged and loyal to your brand.