Let’s begin with the basic question: what is social media? The simplest and most sensible definition is that it is a place where all types of individuals come to share and interact with other users. Given this definition, there are two important insights we need to understand about the users of social media.
1. As mentioned in a previous blog post, statistics show that very few users go to social platforms in search of a product purchase.
2. There is lots of sharing going on in any social media platform, which means that users are probably bombarded with other messages in addition to yours. This bombardment means that social media users have a very short attention span.
Understanding these two core insights about social media users is key before you can even begin to perform well in social media. But knowing this is just the beginning, and the challenge of social media is to create posts that 1) seem friendly and not “sales-y” to your audience, and 2) are engaging and are extremely easy to grasp.
Given these constraints, coming up with posts that “seem” optimal can be difficult. Whenever you find yourselves doubting the relevance of your content, just think of the three “E’s” of social media marketing:
1. Educate
The most obvious of the “E’s” is to educate. After all, if nobody on Facebook knows what your brand can give them, then what is the point? This may sound simple at first, but consider the challenge of trying to let your audience know more about your brand without appearing as if you are trying to “sell” something.
Claritin does this extremely well on Facebook. Through very visually striking posts, they convey the benefits of their product in a very subtle and entertaining manner.
2. Empathize
Brands often forget that social media is a two-way street. Not only do you have to produce content, you will also need to encourage your fans to produce content on your page. This normally involved the brand asking questions to their fans about their opinions about something. The challenge here is not coming up with the question itself, but it is figuring out how you want to frame the question so as get as many of your target audience to engage.
Fanta’s facebook page is filled with questions asking their fans for opinions. Not only are they asking extremely relevant questions, they are also framing these questions in a very fun light.
3. Entertain
The final “E,” the one that is often overlooked or feared, is to entertain. This is what can really put a character or a personality to your brand. Entertaining content on social media also tend to go viral much faster, as people are more prone to sharing them. Just think about all the YouTube videos that go viral — aren’t most of them funny?
Oreo’s facebook page is filled with entertaining posts. Whether in the form of puns, parodies, or entertaining trivia, their light-hearted posts are getting shared and engaged with extremely often.
When creating content for your social media, keep these three “Es” in mind, and you should enjoy a boost in engagement. Like always, if you have any questions regarding this topic, feel free to leave a comment below.
