We create social media content

WHY USE SOCIAL MEDIA?

The first thing to be aware of here is that social media on behalf of a business or organisation shouldn’t be based on personal preferences. While there are many downsides to social media (and we probably have our own personal boundaries on its use) the statistics for social media use make it clear that social media is a critical part of our culture. If we want to engage with an audience as effectively as possible, we must have clear intentions.

There are approximately 4.4 billion internet users, from a global population of 7.7 billion. Of those 4.4 billion, approximately 2.45 billion have a Facebook account, with the typical social media user spending an average of 142 minutes on social media each day!

There is no doubt that social media has split opinion, and will continue to do so. However it has also provided a platform for individuals and organisations who wouldn’t previously have been heard.

While an audience may previously have engaged with your message through a regular and often singular channel, your audience have now become, more than ever, consumers of content. People are now connecting with our message through a variety of different platforms and at all times of the day and night.

Social media allows for a 24/7 opportunity to communicate with your audience on whatever message we may be looking to engage them with.

WHERE TO GET CONTENT FROM?

Getting content together for your social media can be difficult and time consuming, but there are a few things you can do to help.

Firstly, use your search for social media content as a good way to assist needs you might have elsewhere. Having access to files you can use on social media should also provide you with good content to share on other channels – such as your print or other digital outlets. If you have people consuming content in different channels, it’s useful to streamline those needs.

It’s also important to check where the content you are using came from – and that you definitely have the right to use it.

There are lots of media libraries to help you find content online – many industries and organisations provide libraries specific to those niches – so it’s worth checking with colleagues or competitors to see what they might be aware of.

Undoubtedly the best use of social media comes from having a bank of good quality content that you are able to share, having content that reflects your brand and your key messages consistently will help to grow your audience, while also helping to increase the visibility and credibility of your message.

We help clients create content in various formats, including text, graphics, photos and video/animations. Get in touch to see how we can help bring some polish to your social media posts.

USE A CONTENT CALENDAR

One of the most regular challenges with posting to social media is the question of knowing what to post, and when.

Both of these challenges can be overcome by the use of a content calendar, providing a consistent approach to posting content. This also enables to have a pre-planned overview of what kind of content and messaging you want to be able to get to your audience. You can find out more about using a content calendar here.

WHICH CHANNELS SHOULD YOU USE?

While we might only think of a handful of social media channels, there are actually hundreds out there. Picking the right ones to use to expand your message and engage your audience is the first challenge.

Undoubtedly, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are three of the main social media channels – and they are the channels that we focus on in this guide.

However, depending on your purpose in having social media, it may be worth considering having additional social media channels. Likewise, it’s also important not to spread yourself too thinly – if you don’t have anything to say, or you can’t provide regular content, it’s best not to get too involved.

Video channels offer great ways to build engagement, and channels such as YouTube or Vimeo are highly recommended. They can also be resource-heavy, so unless you have a clear strategy in using a particular video channel, it’s probably best not to.

Don’t forget channels outside of your immediate vicinity. Depending on who you are trying to reach, an overseas social media channel may be a great way to tap into an audience that your competitors aren’t. The Chinese social media channel Weibo has over 500 million registered users!

Our top tips for Social Media

• Don’t take on too much – social media can be time consuming and with a variety of different outputs it would be easy to take on too much. Focus on one social media channel that you think you can do well  – or that most suits your audience. When in doubt, Facebook is usually still the main primary channel to use.
• Use good graphics. Good visual content doesn’t only just make you look better – it also attracts and engages a user, which in turn should help your content stand out against other content.
• Utilise a content calendar. If you aren’t already using a content calendar, Tentmaker will be happy to help you create one.
• Share other people’s content – social media was designed to be social! Use content from like-minded organisations, partners, suppliers and customers to help fill your feeds. As well as helping to fill your feed, it will also help to strengthen your relationships with others.
• Direct people to what action you want them to perform. Don’t be shy to ask people to take action. If you want to direct them to a webpage – let them know.
• Speak naturally – think of who you are trying to talk to and write in a way that will engage them.
• Create consistency – making your social feeds look good will say a lot about your organisation, and consistency is a key part in that. Use your brand guidelines to help aid the design of your content and you’ll stand out amongst the social media noise.
• Remember to speak as your organisation. Using the tone of voice of the organisation you are representing on your social media rather than your personal tone is important, especially when you have multiple admins on your channels – you’ll likely want to have some guidelines in place as to how your social media should be handled.