There is so much content out there aimed at helping businesses use social media marketing to boost sales, engage customers and improve their brand image. There are even a ton of blog posts and articles that will tell you how to find your voice in social media marketing.
So, what could I possibly have to contribute to a conversation that hasn’t been rolled over and over?
Well, something that has really been bothering me about all of these articles and posts from social media experts is how vague they are. I get it, content is king, so people create content. But it’s vague and generic and leaves you feeling like you wasted your time reading it. I don’t want to waste your time, I value you and understand how busy you are because chances are if you’re reading this, you’re a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur looking for genuine help. I’ve been there, and understand where you’re coming from so, let’s dive in…
3 Specific Ways to Tell Your Story
I often hear about boring industries or companies that only have products to talk about. This leads to disinteresting content that lacks in engagement and isn’t adding much value to your business.
Let’s face it, social media marketing takes time, real time that could be spent doing other valuable things for your business. When you start to feel like customer’s are not responding or your content is falling flat, the natural response is to give up and say, “social media marketing just doesn’t work” or “I tried that and it didn’t work for me.”
That’s an excuse and when I hear people say that, my immediate thought is that you didn’t try hard enough or try for long enough. Social media is a marathon and not a sprint, keep that in mind while you’re trying new things.
If you’ve found your current strategy isn’t working, here are three specific ways to tell your story
1. Think Local!
Do you participate in a lot of community events? Are you an active sponsor or non-profit donor? Are your employees giving back locally or spending a lot of time enjoying the local scenery?If you can answer yes to one or more of these, it might be time to take a local angle with your strategy. Start focusing on the local events your company is participating in, or sponsoring. If you’ve partnered with a non-profit or other business, go there and take photos, highlight the partnership. This approach is especially great for small communities or towns. Local fans will connect with this and want to see more.
2. Tell YOUR Story
This one sounds obvious. Isn’t that what you’ve been doing when you post photos or links to your product or service? The short answer is NO! When we are talking about telling your story, we are specifically asking you to incorporate the following:
How did your business begin? What has your journey been? Do you cater to a specific type of customer? Is there something that sets your business apart that might not be obvious? Are you family owned?
Incorporating the answers to those questions (and any others you can think of) will go a long way to shaping a voice that people are connected to and want to hear. It will genuinely leave people wanting more information, which will lead them to your website or searching out your product.
3. Rule the Niche
Many niche products and services are often overlooked because people don’t even know they exist. Using your niche as your story-telling angle will go a long way to get people interested in what you have to offer. Be sure to make the content informative and engaging, don’t just droll on about your product or service, but rather tell what makes it unique and what problem you’re solving.
This story-telling perspective is great when told from the perspective of customers. Reviews and testimonials will create a connection with your audience and illustrate the problem your product or service solves.
By now, you should have a really clear idea of how to find your voice in social media marketing and have a few ideas readily available to start making some fresh content that will engage and grow your network. If you’re still stuck then it might be time to really reflect on your business and perhaps ask for outside opinions. Asking customers what they think about your brand will give you an outside perspective that can guide you.
Mandy Davis is the owner of Ingrain Social Media a boutique marketing agency in Bend that specializes in digital marketing with an emphasis on social media marketing. Other services include website design, content writing, PR to name a few.
You can contact Mandy at Mandy@ingrainsocialmedia.com or www.ingrainsocialmedia.com
(Photo above | Cascade Business News)
