Once you’ve collected a ton of intel about your Ideal Client Avatar and the content they love, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to uniquely and memorably deliver that content. Developing a content creation plan and keeping a content calendar are two easy ways to keep your social media marketing on track without inundating your audience with too many sales pitches or meaningless posts that go ignored.
Trick #1: Use the Three P’s
This is number one because if you do nothing else, you need to do this! All social media content will fall into one of the three Ps: personal, purposeful (or educational/inspirational), promotional. Striking a balance between these types of posts is a safe way to grow engagement and relationships with your followers. Too many of one type will bore your followers or they’ll think you’re only out to make a buck if you post too many promotions.
Examine your current posts.
Which of the 3 P’s does your content fall into?
Are you getting engagement?
Are you lacking a balance?
What feels most natural to you to create?
Start there with what’s natural, but don’t get stuck in that comfort zone. You want to find a balance between what your followers love and what you’re able to create on a regular basis. Why not try stepping out of your comfort zone and add a different type of post to your rotation?
Next, understand that social media marketing is similar to business networking in that you’re not trying to make a sale in the first conversation you have with someone. Instead, you’re learning about that person’s business, asking questions, and thinking about if this is truly someone who can benefit from YOUR programs or products.
Not everyone will be part of your ideal client pool, but all of these conversations are worthwhile. A networking conversation can lead to a referral, a JV opportunity, more introductions, or they themselves may say YES to you down the road. This process is all part of building relationships which is so vital to businesses these days.
Does it make more sense now why you want to balance your social posts? Use any variety of these 3 P’s so your followers get to know, like, and trust you. If you’re constantly posting hard-sell posts, you’ll chase prospects away instead of wooing them into your circle of influence.
Trick #2: Create Content Themes for Each Day of the Week
Sticking with a daily theme makes it easy to keep your posts balanced. Have some fun with a Throwback Thursday or create your own themes based on your business and audience then go one step further by using a custom hashtag. Encourage your audience to use the hashtag in their own themed posts. A word of caution: Don’t simply copy someone else’s themes. While there are some that are pretty common, try to put your own spin on them so they are uniquely yours.
Trick #3: Use the Time Block Method for Creating Content
One popular time management tool that helps create content fast is the time block method. Personally I use this all the time! Simply block off a chunk of time – such as three hours – and get to work. Time blocking is especially helpful when recording videos because you can set up your equipment one time and record a dozen videos in that one session. If you’re a writer who gets into the zone, you can easily pound out 3 blog posts and a selection of Facebook posts in that same three-hour time frame.
Now that you know what messages you want to share, it’s time to decide how to share it.
Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, are multi-purpose platforms and there are several ways you can share your content: written posts, pre-recorded videos, Lives and even Stories. This is where knowing yourself and knowing your ideal customer avatar comes in handy. What type of content do you want to create–and what type do you know your Ideal Client Avatar will devour? Again, it’s about finding the intersection. You won’t know until you experiment with all types, though. The only sure-fire way to figure this out is through action!
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