The internet is everywhere. People access it in their homes, at work and on their phones while they're out and about. Social media advertising isn't a new phenomenon. It's been over 10 years since Facebook took social media mainstream. Today, most businesses involve one or more social media platforms in their marketing campaigns because of the powerful targeting algorithms they provide. However, while a company can pinpoint its core audience, the advertising needs to be good enough to draw their attention.
1. Understand The Psychology Of Sharing
If your business wants to attract attention with content, it's important to know what type of content users will share. People share information on platforms like Instagram that is useful, inspiring or entertaining. If you have a message that people will find valuable, why not consider leveraging the existing creator ecosystem to spread your message? Regions such as the Northern Beaches have an excellent creator ecosystem that may be of assistance.
2. Be Authentic And Original
How can you be authentic, true to your brand and original? Think of a personal relationship. Two people enter into a friendship or a romantic relationship not because they have similar interests but because they have similar emotions and goals. If you’re here trying to “sell” something, then you’ve already lost your audience before even starting, just like I would try to sell myself as a fun person… it’s hard to relate to someone who doesn’t seem fun, so we don’t try. On the other hand, if you are an open and relatable person, who genuinely cares about their followers -- your audience will see that in your posts and will want to know more. And they will ultimately buy from you!
Forbes has a great article about why it's crucial to be authentic on social media.
3. Talk About Something Trending
Our advice would be to teach about something that is trending in the world. For example, Instagram has over 800 million monthly users. If you can create a style guide and do a fashion shoot, that could go viral. Or, if you have a book out on Amazon or a brand new coffee machine to show off, make sure it looks great on your store's Facebook page. People really want to see the behind-the-scenes of what goes on in building a profitable business. Make it fun and let people see the transformation that makes what you do real for them!
4. Have A Sense Of Humour
While generating attention-grabbing content may be easier than we think, it does take an effort to get it right. Aligning social media posts to closely related trending topics in the media will help boost the attention of many who may be interested in that topic anyway. Lastly, being funny works. People can appreciate a business with a sense of humour at times!
5. Target Your Audience
We may not know what the XYZ corporation is looking for in terms of content, but we can make educated guesses based on what has worked in the past and suit it to each location's needs. We'll use copy that talks about the things that matter most to them, like offering a great product or providing useful services.
6. Start With A Hook
Hook them in the first few seconds. This keeps followers engaged, and it’s a great way to give them just enough information to get them to watch the rest of the video.
7. Be Fun, Useful Or Inspiring
What’s the best way to get new customers on Instagram? It turns out there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Rather than worrying about what type of content to post, focus on being you—spontaneous and authentic.
8. Start On A Personal Level
The first step to using tools to your advantage is getting comfortable with them on a personal level. If you can't understand how it works and appreciate its possibilities, it’s impossible to connect to the possibilities of how it could impact your business.
9. Find An Influencer In Your Space
The best way to grow followers is by working with industry influencers. Not only will they give you an unbiased endorsement, but a mention from them on their social media accounts can also significantly increase your followers.
10. Have A Social Media Marketing Expert
We invested very early on in a social media marketing person who focuses on creating both fun and informational posts every day. We also enable our entire organisation to post on their favourite social platforms by providing them with daily content that they can post themselves. It's a well-coordinated focus that is part of our company's branding strategy. Grab Social. have clients ranging across the Northern Beaches and surrounding areas and assist businesses of all niches and sizes.
For more info on how valuable outside help can be, give our article about outsourcing for your business a read.
11. Aim To Stop The Scroll
A short video is a great way to grab your audience’s attention and make them laugh, as well as add captions. The caption field often works as a place for humour or stories, which can build brand loyalty and engagement if done right.
12. Focus on Content Quality Instead
Don't chase after attention-grabbing content and try going viral on the latest trendy platform. Instead focus on quality of content, followers and engagement. The true value of social media platforms comes from continuous engagement and the conversion of followers to customers for acquisition. Anything else is a waste of time.
If you are a Northern Beaches business looking to build your brand awareness on Instagram, get in touch with us at Grab Social!