Standing Out on Social Media [Social Media Week]

Standing out on Social Media

Natalie Sherman

Natalie Sherman stepped in at Social Media Week when speakers couldn’t make it to Bristol due to the snow. She shared with us some tips/strategies for standing out on social media that can be used whatever social media platform you use. Here are some of the key takeaways from her talk.

01. Make Conversation

Make conversation. Page post that generate conversation between people will show higher in the news feed. You can engage and encourage conversation by asking questions, engaging and responding to feedback, reaching out to your audience and asking for help, and generally having a conversation as you would in real life. Don’t just post and respond generically – share your own thoughts as well (particularly on Facebook) – don’t just share other people’s thoughts and opinions.

Go to where the conversation is already happening and join in. You can do this by searching for keywords and mentions of your brand. Alternatively, you can choose a few hashtags to engage with.

02. Build a Community

Create a small interested community (e.g. facebook group). On Facebook(following the algorithm change) content in groups will be prioritised. Therefore it is a great way to boost your reach. However, you need to make sure that your group adds value. Involve your community, give them tips, exclusive offers, support. Share their stories. The key behind successful groups is to use and support each other and of course, add value.

Another great way to build a community is to use twitter chats. Twitter chats are a great way to bring together people with a common interest and help them network. An hour investment in the right twitter chat can be really powerful and worthwhile for raising your profile and building your brand.

03. Be Creative

Creativity can go a long way to standing out online.

Think about what matters to your audience. What tools you can use (e.g. stories, live, polls). Be brave and test them out and see what works for you and your audience. Have a look at competitors and people you aspire to be like. Take a look at what they are doing well. What could you do that is different to stand-out or what can you incorporate into your current strategy.

Also keep an eye out for content that appears to be achieving higher rankings and create your own such as:

• Live Streaming and Video – IG Stories and Facebook Live – tell people that you are going to be streaming live and what you are talking about and build momentum before the event.
• Influencer Marketing – building relationships with influencers of your demographic.
• Ephemeral Content and Story Telling (authentic content)
• Customer Service and Social Listening.

Don’t have time to keep up with it all? Pick one thing and do it well!