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Creating Engaging Content
Learn to use social media as your biggest business asset
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Creating Engaging Content
Without the comfort of physical contact and much face-to-face communication, it is important to ensure your business is not forgotten in these challenging times. Creating a social media presence is a fantastic way to get your name out there and to remind existing customers, as well as potential customers, that you are still very much open and ready to work.
Social media can be a tricky thing to navigate, especially since there are so many different options. And it’s all about knowing how to target an audience, promote your brand, and create the best content to catch people’s eye as they scroll through their feed.
Here you will learn how to:
Knowing your target audience will help you create content they want to see. Photo: Pixabay
Find your target audience
Social media can often be quite a daunting thought when you begin to look at the many different platforms. Fortunately, there are ways to narrow down your search, and help you find the best platform to suit your business.
You can begin by deciding on a target audience. Statistics have shown that Facebook is a platform primarily used by people aged 25 and over, while the younger generation tends to prefer using Instagram and Snapchat. By working out what age demographic your business primarily caters to, you can better decide on a platform that will give you the best chances of gaining the attention your business needs. You can also take a look at sites such as LinkedIn, which is best used to target business and corporate clients if your business is one that provides a service catered to them.
Promoting your brand
When promoting your business through social media, it is important to know what kind of a presence you want to have. Each business has something that makes it unique and sets it apart from others. The key is to identify that thing within your own small business and lean into it when posting on social media.
This type of promotion goes beyond online advertisement. It is about what you want to highlight on your social media pages. What makes you unique? It could be the product you sell, or the services you provide. Your location, or the relationships you form with your clients and customers. Lean into your qualities that set you apart from other companies and businesses. The aim of social media is to show what you can do, and to remind customers and clientele that there is something you can bring to the table that they won’t find anywhere else.
Taking appealing photos
The purpose of the photo is to catch the eye of potential customers and clientele. This means the photos you post should be appealing to the eye and give us a glimpse into your business and what it is all about. The first impression that people get of your business will be from the pictures that you post, so here are a few tips on how to take photos that will catch the eye of your viewers:
1. Keep it simple
The last thing you want is for your picture to be overcrowded. Keep the focus on one thing, whether that is a product or a person, and whenever possible try not to have anything in the background that may draw attention away from the main focus.
The best way to do this is by setting your photo subject against a neutral background, such as a wall, or blurring the background of the picture, which is something that can easily be done on most smartphones or editing software.
Here are some options for free, easy-to-use photo editing software you might find useful.
A picture speaks a thousand words. Photo: Pixabay
2. Use Action Shots
When photographing people, the most appealing images are ones that seem active. Say you are wanting to showcase your staff members hard at work. The best way to do that is by having them act as they normally would while completing the task.
Having your staff pose for pictures can often appear stiff and unrealistic. Using candid shots not only showcases your business as one that has a high regard for work and focused attention, but also gives customers and clients a glimpse at what your workplace looks like on a typical day. It makes people feel invited into your space, which can often make them feel more comfortable with you as a provider.
Action shots remind your audience that you business is still going. Photo: Pixabay
3. Lighting and Angles
Do not be afraid to play around with the lighting and angles of your photos. It is often best to use natural lighting, to give the picture a more natural glow, but playing around with the use of shadows and light can often make them look more artistic. The same goes for angles. Everyone has seen the straight on shots of products; try to have fun with it and see what else you can do to make things a little bit more exciting.
Play around with lighting and angles to get a feel of what looks good. Photo: Pixabay
4. Editing
Feel free to use filters or edit the photo after you have taken it. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the pictures you take may look somewhat boring. Using photo filters can change the contrast and colouring of your photo, making the colours pop and giving it a more vibrant look.
You can use your photos to showcase products. Photo: Pixabay
Creating content
The content that you post is the most important thing about your social media presence. The captions that accompany your pictures can do one of two things; they can either be a side note to the photo that you have posted, or they can be used as the main source of information:
1. Captions for notes: Depending on your business and what you want to advertise, there are different ways to use social media to your advantage. If your product or service is more visual, you could use your pictures as the main source of information, while using the caption to highlight what the photo is already saying.
For example, a bakery posts a picture of a cake that they just made. Alongside the picture, they have used the caption "come in store to try one of our beautiful cakes fresh out of the oven."
Keeping the caption short and to the point will not take focus away from the product you are selling, while still informing consumers of what the product is and how they can buy it.
2. Captions for information: This is best used for businesses that provide services as opposed to those that supply a product. The picture is used to draw a person’s eye, but the caption is used to explain what it is you can do for a customer.
For example, a company that manages events might post a picture of their staff working hard at one of their events. They can post it with a caption that describes what the event is, and what their staff are doing in the picture. This tells potential clients what they can do, while also giving examples of what they have already done.
Social media is fast becoming the best way to get information out into the public. As small business owners, it is important to utilise these platforms to advertise your goods and services. By doing this, you can increase your customer base and begin to rebuild or grow your business. These tools will help you get started on your social media journey, and from there you can continue to grow and get your name out into the public’s eye once again.
Just because your doors are closed it doesn't mean your business is. Photo: Pixabay