How To Stand Out On Social Media
Make your social media outstanding
Social media. You like it, you hate it. Sometimes it can even feel like a giant screaming match! Social media is here to stay and whether you’re an employee or self-employed, your social media presence is becoming increasingly important (people will check you out, y’all) - so why not shine, online?
If you run a business or are in the business of YOU (which you probably are, in some way), it’s important to understand how to show up on social media. And more importantly, how to STAND OUT. In the big sea of oh-so-many people.
When I first started my business, I had only experienced being ON social media. I knew how to post a Facebook status update, tag a vacation spot, and upload a pic of my friends and me. That was it.
I had no idea how to USE social media, making it work for me. Maybe this is you, too.
I’m going to teach you 5 quick tips on how to make the most out of social media. These tips will help you to better network, find business, leads, and ultimately grow your business.
By the way, these tips are so simple, yet the masses aren’t following these tips. That means you’re pretty much guaranteed to stand out!
Ready?
1. ENGAGE! This is one super easy way to stand out. Social media is well, social! Think of it as an online cocktail party. I can't tell you how many influencers and business owners lose out on opportunities to build relationships with their audiences because they do not engage.
Lost opportunities mean lost sales and fewer ways to grow your business. Bottom line, write back to each and every comment (troll/negative comments require no response unless you really want to respond).
Show your audience that you appreciate them for taking the time to ask you a question or write a thoughtful comment on your post.
2. Post photos of YOU. Hands down, photos of me receive the highest engagement (likes, comments, shares) from my audience. Does it sometimes feel awkward to post photos of just me? Yes! But, in order to achieve my goals I choose to post what my audience wants.
Many go the easy route posting photos of things and places. You are not part of the sea of many. Posting photos of things and places is fine once in a while, however, if you want to truly stand out, post photos of YOU. This is your MOST unique competitive advantage!
It make take a little while to get comfortable with posting photos of yourself. This is so important, especially if you are a personal brand. Investing in a photographer to photograph you in your element can really pay off.
Your audience wants to see the face behind your brand, YOU in action, working behind the scenes, enjoying your life, etc! So give them what they want, kay?
3. Create relevant and thoughtful (ideally original) content that does any or all of the following: inspires, educates or entertains your audience. Providing value is key to building trust with your audience and will build engagement - which will, in turn, increase your search ranking and have your post seen by more people!
Use the captions to establish you as an expert or authority in your space. Your audience will notice that you have gone the extra mile to provide them VALUE and in turn, this will drive more engagement, loyalty, and sales/collaborations/partnerships.
4. Have a plan and work it. Be intentional with your social media plan. I love using CoSchedule to plan my social media posts - this tool allows you to plan across different platforms, write your content, and add your photos.
So easy!
I've found it easy to use a repeating pattern of 4-5 post categories - assigning 1 category per post. For example - travel, tips and tricks, personal story, behind the scenes. Spreading each of these categories across the month will give you a solid starting point for topics to discuss.
5. Be consistent. Show up daily. No posting and ghosting - it's that simple. Show up every day on your preferred social media channels to respond to comments, remain top of mind to your audience, and to increase your exposure to more people.
So there you go, 5 tips to help you stand out. Share with a friend or add your favorite tip or question in the comments below!
Holly xo
About Holly
Holly works with professionals to create services-based businesses using expertise and strengths they already have. Holly is the creator of The Consultant Code, a program will have you up, running, and profitable with your services-based business in 60 days or less! Want to learn more? Drop her a note at: holly@hollyknoll.com