I’m going to start out with a disclaimer: The title of this one is, in retrospect, a little ambitious. I’m not changing it because the post is, in fact, about that. It’s just that the length of one of my posts is not adequate to provide a complete playbook. Look at what follows as a framework upon which you can build some good custom branding and grow your audience. Now, onto your regularly scheduled blog post …
There is nothing in modern online marketing that matters more than your reputation. For more than a few brands, that reputation is grown through specific online interactions. Arguably, the most important of these interactions is social media. This is where you will meet, interact, and deliver content to your audience with few, if any, stops in between. It’s just you, your brand, and a voracious audience that is becoming more and more demanding about content every day.
But no pressure …
In all seriousness, this is some important stuff to consider. You’re in a unique place in history of having unprecedented access to a global audience. How you present your brand and its message matters. With that thought in mind, here are what I consider to be five of the most important behaviors of successful social media marketers.
1. Always Present the Best Quality Content Possible
Don’t skimp on the one thing that can will most assuredly be the deciding factor for many whether your brand has any credibility. What this means is that it’s time to think about your content — all of it. Start with an SEO audit and follow through with a content strategy that sets you up for success.
So, now comes the part where I subtly recommend working with a professional copywriting company to accomplish this. If you’re currently managing copywriting in-house, it’s possible — not a given, but possible — that you could use some help in a few key areas: quality control, consistency in voice, and a predictable publishing schedule.
Working with a competent writer — or a few key writers — can help you quite a bit in maintaining a good rhythm with content delivery and delivering content people will be excited to see in their feeds. Is your content typically a scroll-stopper? If not, contact us.
2. Be Present
While this one isn’t specifically a content creation strategy, it’s a vital maintenance strategy for keeping people around to consume (and, more importantly, engage with) your content long term. You’re paying for it one way or another, either in the time spent developing it or in costs involved with working with a custom writing service.
For these reasons, and also as a means of maintaining a firm trust relationship with your audience, be sure to keep time in your schedule for online interaction. Answer questions, respond to direct messages, and participate in conversations. The last is still such a novelty that it can really churn up excitement.
3. Engage Positively
Don’t lock horns with your detractors. Don’t polarize conversations. Do more listening than talking, but definitely use your voice. In some instances, you might want to consult with a writing service before responding. A professional response that reads like it’s ad-lib and organic to your brand can put out some huge fires on social media, especially if someone has a reason to criticize you.
Also, keep in mind that bad press spreads like wildfire. You actually have to work for positive reviews, comments, and interactions. All it takes is for a few vocal members to either loudly leave your page or hijack a few conversations, and, all of a sudden, the perception of your brand changes, gets skewed.
4. Develop Content Around Recent Conversations
One cool way to demonstrate the degree to which you listen to your audience is by developing content around recent questions and conversations posted on your social page(s). This tells your audience that you take a genuine interest in the things that interest them and have the desire to communicate with them through content the right way.
I’ll add just a small caveat here, though: Focus on positive conversations. If you address negative issues with your general audience, it creates unnecessary problems. It can be perceived by people both inside and outside the conversation that you’re attacking the person or group involved. Deal with the negatives by proving the assertions wrong, not by airing dirty laundry.
5. Select Good Curated Content
You can also score huge points with your audience by commenting on other good content out there that affirms your brand message. Curated content can be used effectively in several ways:
Reporting Current Events: Showing your awareness of current news, events, and trends that matter to your audience.
Social Proofs: Verifiable content that affirms your brand message, especially if it answers questions or clarifies details about your business, can really boost credibility.
Evergreen Topics: General curated content can help in a few ways. It fills gaps when you just plain need a new post fast, if you want to maintain a consistent foundation of informational content to complement your own, or to anchor your brand message to credible sources that agree with it.
Final Takeaway
Maintaining your rep on your social channels is just flat out imperative. Hopefully, the above gives you an idea of the approach you should be taking in your effort to build and maintain a good one. However, if you still feel like you’re going to need help, contact us. We can help you improve and tighten your written content strategy and keep your reputation stellar.
