How To Build Social Media Content From Scratch
Whether you’re a new or established business owner, by now you know the importance of having a social media presence. But if you’re just getting started with the various social media platforms, sometimes it’s tough to know where to begin.
Today’s post is all about helping you do just that. Building something from nothing is totally doable if you have the right tools to get going one step at a time.
First, the Basics
Although it’s key to have some kind of presence on the major platforms, you’ll probably only pick one or two where you’ll really focus your efforts. Start by finding out where your audience spends the most time; that’s where you’ll want to be. If your audience is millennials, for instance, you’ll likely be on Instagram and Snapchat.
Once you’ve pinned down your platforms and set up your pages, you’ll need a system for creating and scheduling your posts. Our social media management platform is a great opportunity, especially if you’re trying to manage multiple locations.
Now, the Ideas
Most business owners would say that the reason they’re not posting on social media is lack of time, lack of ideas or a combination of the two. As far as time goes, try putting aside 30 minutes daily to dedicate solely to social media. You might find you enjoy interacting with customers and building a following!
And as far as ideas, I’ve got several to get you started.
Easiest: Share relevant content from others
Don’t have time to write a blog post or an article? Someone else has already done it for you. Search for content created by non-competing entities, and simply share their content on your social pages.
Also easy, once you’ve done the work: Repurpose your own content
This one takes a little more legwork initially, but once you’ve done the work, you have endless opportunities to repurpose your own content. You can either write blog posts or videos yourself or hire someone to do it for you, but in any case, those posts are great shareable content.
All it took was going back to that original post and calling out one of the “days” to share. No extra blog post needed!
Create a poll
People love voicing their opinion on social media, so why not capitalize on their desire to be heard? Polls can be silly or serious, but make sure you ask something that’s sure to get a response. On Twitter, you can create polls right from your “Compose new Tweet” box. On Facebook, see this link for help creating a poll on the platform.
Some polls should focus on helping you learn more about your audience, while others might simply speak to a current trend.
The lesson: Keep it simple and relevant.
Ask a Question or Invite “Fill in the Blank” Responses
Along the lines of polls, anytime you pose a question or ask users to fill in the blank in a post, you’re inviting engagement. Try a simple either-or question such as, “Would you rather eat hamburgers or pizza if those were the last two foods on Earth?” You can also post an engaging photo and either ask users to caption it, or create a fill-in-the-blank response, such as, “My favorite thing about summer is ____.”
Post a Quote
Apps like canva.com make it easy to create your own attractive graphics. Find some inspirational quotes, plop them into a Canva template, download and upload the image, and voila! You’ve got a post. Repurpose the quote image across platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Or Create an Infographic
Share facts and stats about your industry in an infographic, which you can create yourself using Canva or Visual.ly. Head over to Daily Infographic for ideas.
Go Behind the Scenes
Can you share a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world behind your business? Maybe offer a look at how your products are produced, or make it personal.
Invite User-Generated Content
Ask your audience to post photos of themselves using or benefiting from your product or service. Not only does this invite some creativity into your posts, but it also provides the social validation people are looking for online. Your audience is more likely to believe a testimonial from a real customer versus a piece of sales copy you created!
Gather Inspiration
As you’re browsing online, save your favorite articles and images so you can look at them later and get inspired to post. Pinterest and Pocket are great tools for organizing and keeping track of your content.