Creating content that is both shareable and thought-provoking is a challenge for any social media marketer. You want to attract attention, engage your audience, and spark conversations, but how do you do that without compromising on quality, relevance, and authenticity? Here are some tips to help you craft content that stands out and resonates with your followers.
The first step to creating shareable and thought-provoking content is to understand who you are creating it for. What are their interests, pain points, goals, and preferences? How do they consume and interact with content on different platforms? What kind of content do they find valuable, entertaining, or inspiring? You can use tools like surveys, polls, analytics, and social listening to gather insights and feedback from your audience. This will help you tailor your content to their needs and expectations, and increase the chances of them sharing and commenting on it.
Before trying to do anything that's "thought-provoking", you should know your audience well AND you should be aware that you can't please everyone. You are bound to create disagreements, but if your content is authentic and speaks in a non-sterile manner - with honesty - to a big parcel of your audience, you're going to get bigger rewards by taking the risk.
I believe that it's a little bit chicken and egg: it's important to know you audience and pull Insights that you use to create the right content, but it's also important to.push the messages you find important. You cannot only create content the audience is asking for, you are not Google.
Social Media Producer @ Nikolai Hoppensack | Marketing Producer
To activate the over-marketed audience of today, create something for your core audience. 'Core' means your rabid fans and fanatics. That is counterintuitive in marketing because they are always the smallest user group. But since they are fans, they will act - like sharing something on their own timeline, etc. That's something you won't get an average follower to do. I like motorcycles, but I'm not a 'biker'. I won't interact with a brand account much, but I'll own a fast bike until retirement and beyond :)
The next step is to decide what format to use for your content. Depending on your goals, message, and platform, you can choose from a variety of formats, such as images, videos, infographics, podcasts, blogs, ebooks, webinars, and more. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to consider factors like the attention span, accessibility, and engagement level of your audience. For example, videos are great for capturing attention and conveying emotions, but they require more resources and time to produce and consume. Infographics are effective for presenting data and facts, but they may not be as appealing or interactive as videos. You should also experiment with different formats and see what works best for your audience and your brand.
The one thing you have to remember is that when content is shared it is typically because your content is relatable, however for it to also be thought-provoking it requires more personal details, it requires an extra step such as figuring out a new angle for a common topic. This is why format is very important, because if you choose a format you are not comfortable with it will be difficult to come across relatable and thus shareable. Yet, not every format is right for thought-provoking content. For instance, if the topic requires more visual imagery then just using written blogs might not be worthwhile. Videos are obviously best, but sometimes the sequence of carousels is better!
The third step is to make sure your content adds value and emotion to your audience. Value can be anything that helps your audience solve a problem, learn something new, achieve a goal, or improve their situation. Emotion can be anything that makes your audience feel something, such as joy, curiosity, anger, surprise, or gratitude. Value and emotion are the two main drivers of sharing and thinking, so you need to incorporate them into your content. For example, you can create content that offers tips, advice, insights, stories, case studies, testimonials, or challenges that relate to your audience's needs and desires. You can also create content that triggers positive or negative emotions, such as humor, awe, fear, or outrage, that motivate your audience to react and express their opinions.
People may click on a well-made or eye-catching ad, but they will actually engage and share if what they see and feel there is thought-provoking, curious and moves them in some way. Create sincere content that generates positive emotions in people and the user will most likely want to share it with their trusted network.
We are in post covid world emotionally - if you can add levity, do it! If you can add humor, that`s adding value. If your video is really funny you can get people to share it. However it`s so rare today, I question if it is even a usefull metric to go after.
The fourth step is to use headlines and visuals to attract and retain attention. Headlines and visuals are the first things that your audience sees when they encounter your content, so they need to be catchy, clear, and relevant. Headlines should summarize the main idea or benefit of your content, and use words that evoke curiosity, urgency, or emotion. Visuals should complement and enhance your content, and use colors, shapes, fonts, and images that appeal to your audience's senses and emotions. Headlines and visuals should also match the tone and style of your brand and your platform, and avoid misleading or clickbait tactics that may harm your credibility and reputation.
I love great copy, here`s my favorite copywriter, Alex James: If you sell services, never claim to be "better". Even if you are. Would you keep reading? I bet you would ;)
The fifth step is to ask questions and invite feedback from your audience. Questions are powerful tools to stimulate thinking and dialogue, and to show that you care about your audience's opinions and experiences. You can use questions to introduce, conclude, or supplement your content, and to encourage your audience to share their thoughts, feelings, or stories. You can also use questions to challenge your audience to think critically, creatively, or differently about a topic, and to spark debates or discussions. Feedback is another way to engage your audience and to show that you value their input and suggestions. You can use feedback to improve your content, to learn more about your audience, and to build trust and loyalty. You can ask for feedback through comments, reviews, ratings, polls, surveys, or direct messages, and always respond and acknowledge your audience's feedback.
The last step is to be consistent and authentic with your content. Consistency means creating and sharing content regularly, and following a schedule or a plan that suits your audience and your goals. Consistency helps you maintain and grow your audience, and establish your authority and credibility. Authenticity means creating and sharing content that reflects your brand's personality, values, and voice, and that aligns with your audience's expectations and needs. Authenticity helps you connect and resonate with your audience, and differentiate yourself from your competitors. You can be authentic by showing your human side, by being honest and transparent, and by adding your own perspective or story to your content.
Content met een onverwachte boodschap, sterke mening of niet vaak gehoorde visie is vaak interessant voor mensen om te lezen en te delen. Als je merkt dat je ergens anders over denkt dan anderen of een hele sterke mening over hebt én je kunt onderbouwen waarom je dit denkt, heb je vaak een goed onderwerp te pakken voor een social media post. Zo begon ik eens een post met 'Ik ga iets zeggen wat je eigenlijk niet hoort te zeggen als hoogleraar...' Die post leverde veel reacties op ??
Kunden kaufen bei Marken, denen sie vertrauen. Allerdings ist eine der gr??ten Herausforderungen der Spagat zwischen #Zeitmanagement und #Kundenzufriedenheit. ?????? Daher sind vor allem das Einbeziehen und der Austausch sowie die kontinuierliche Ausspielung von Inhalten die wichtigsten Bestandteile im Aufbau von Vertrauen. Damit du dich von den 91 Prozent abheben kannst, bedarf es neben einem gut durchdachten Content-Plan auch Personen, die entweder in deinem Unternehmen die richtigen Impulse setzen oder dich extern kompetent beraten, um so kontinuierlich deine Content Ausspielung zu f?rdern. ?? Content entsteht nicht nebenbei schenk ihm die Aufmerksamkeit, die er verdient. ???