Social media is rapidly growing. Every single second, the internet is being flooded by new content via several different social media platforms. It’s the perfect condition for your content to get drowned. This, however, doesn’t have to be the case. Despite the overwhelming amount of information that is struggling for the finite attention of social media users, it is still very possible for you to attract the attention your brand needs.
To achieve this, the first thing you need to do is realize that you can’t get everybody’s attention. Trying to do so would be an effort in futility. Instead, define the attributes of your ideal audience. This is an indispensable step.
Defining your target audience will go a long way in helping you to create content that is helpful as well as relevant to said audience. It will also be the key to determining your choice of social media platforms, considering the fact it is impractical for you or your brand to be active on every single social media site.
To effectively define your ideal audience, you must pinpoint your core values as a brand. What is your market position? What makes you unique as a brand?
So now you know the audience you want to reach. The next thing you have to do is tailor your content to suit their taste.
Content is, arguably, the most important factor in any social media strategy, so you must get it right.
In the words of advertising innovator, Howard Gossage; “Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes it’s an ad.” This quote can be useful to you when putting in the context of content creation. Your aim should be to interest your audience and keep them interested. Content created to achieve the aim of attracting the attention of your audience should be unique. Think out of the box. You know the audience you want, so put yourself in their place. What type of content would attract you if you were in their shoes?
However, apart from your content being catchy, it also has to be helpful. Helpful content will not only serve to get people’s attention; it will go a long way in making sure they stay interested.
To develop helpful content, you must connect with your audience emotionally. Empathy is key. Communicate directly with your audience. Don’t just speak, listen. Engage them. Ask for, be genuinely interested in, and respond appropriately to their feedback. While doing this, you learn more about your audience; You discover the things they react to positive and the ones they don’t; You learn what to do more of and what to do less of, or not at all. With this knowledge, you can move from the point of creating content based on generalizations to creating relevant, helpful content that will resonate with your audience on a deeper and more personal level. This will help you stand out to your audience and give them a reason to remember you.