Social media is about building visibility and the reputation of your brand. It’s one of those all-important layers of trust that a company, organisation or individual should continually be working on.

But it’s more than just publishing regular updates and being constantly active in your chosen networks. The most important part is your content – what you have to say and how you say it.

Here are some things to consider when creating your social media content:

• Put your audience first. Make sure whatever you’re saying has relevance to the audience you serve. Working in the newspaper industry taught me that every story you write should appeal to your readership. The same applies for your online audience. If you start posting stuff that is boring, irrelevant or always commercially-focused, you’ll turn people off.
• It’s always about the story. People love seeing stories or content about people – so use photos or videos of people whenever possible. Video posts have a 135% greater organic reach than photo posts, too. Stories work better when there’s a good dose of human interest involved.
• Make it engaging. This year Facebook announced that its algorithm will place greater emphasis on reactions rather than post likes. Engaged conversations, with comments and reactions, will get your posts recycled through the newsfeed. This means that your content need to be good enough for your fans to love.

You may have seen a content marketing matrix before. When thinking about your content, it’s important to ask yourself:

• Am I entertaining my audience? (Think competitions, quizzes, polls, surveys). Interactive content drives 70 percent more conversions than static.
• Am I inspiring my audience? (These could be via reviews, celebrity endorsements, events).
• Am I educating my audience?: (Think guides, infographics, whitepapers, blogs, press releases).
• What am I doing to convince them? (Via interactive demos, ratings, etc).

Don’t forget the all-important ‘What’s In It For Me’ question. Understanding your customers’ needs and wants will help tailor what you publish online.

Another thing: Social media advertising is now essential. The days of enjoying huge organic reach on posts are pretty much over.

• Facebook’s algorithm determines which advertisements are best catered to the user based on their Likes, Reactions, listed interests, and interaction with other Pages. This means that while advertising can be super targeted, you need to think carefully about your content, to ensure it hits the mark with your audience.
• Use advertising to attract traffic. Capture leads by connecting with them through your content.

Here are some key things to remember when you’re next thinking about what you publish on your social platforms:

• Use social media to have a relationship with your audience.
• How can you add value to their lives?
• Don’t always make it about commercial content.
• Ask yourself: Where is the human interest?

And if you get stuck, feel free to check out more of our blogs or get in touch. We’re always happy to help.