8 Time-Tested Tactics to Win the War For Attention on Social Media

There is a war for attention on social media (and everywhere else your marketing content lives). The only way to win is to rise above all the noise and to do that, customers need to hear your music.

How noisy is it, exactly? Every minute:

• 1400 blog posts are published
• Facebook users share 2,460,000 of content
• Twitter users tweet 277,000 times
• Instagram users post 216,000 new photos
• Yelp users post 26,380 reviews
• Pinterest users pin 3,472 images
• Youtube users upload 72 hours of new video

These numbers are likely to make your eyes glaze over and, by the time you’re done reading this list, a minute has passed so you might as well start the list from the top again. This process repeats 1,440 times per day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. This is the unrelenting power of content on social media.

When faced with this staggering amount of content that’s being created every single minute, how can you cut through the noise? That's the question that every social media marketer tries to answer.

In any human, natural, or economic system, when there is an overabundance of some commodity, and there is a limited capacity to consume that good, something has to change. What worked in content marketing a few years ago — when content was a novelty — will not work in this era of overwhelming information density. (Content Shock)

High engagement is not sustainable on a large scale. The same “Content Shock” principle applies with every attention-based platform — when the amount of content goes up, so does the competition for attention. If the amount of content skyrockets, and our attention span is finite, something has to give.

The only solution then is to build a community of raving fans around your brand, deliver helpful, original, high-quality content and focus on lead generation with those that are most likely to buy from you.

It's Time to Play Your Music

In order to win the war for attention on social media, companies must utilize specific tactics. These tactics require developing the organization so that they can be implemented. The following 8 tactics will help you win the war for attention on social media.

1. Tell a Story

Incorporate the story of your company in your content strategy. Stories are how we connect emotionally with people and brands. Emotional connections leave a lasting impression and we align ourselves with the stories that resonate most.

Tell stories of outstanding customer experiences. Use real time examples via video.

Every human being wakes up and identifies as the protagonist in a story. Brands, including personal brands, who begin with this concept in mind when creating their content strategy, actually get more sales.

2. Develop and Implement a Solid Content Strategy

Companies trying to adapt to social media often are at a loss for what to post. Many resort to "sales content" and that's the exact wrong approach.

Telling stories is crucial but companies need a specific strategy with which to create their content. The components of a solid content strategy are:

• Pinpoint who you are as a brand (your core values)
• Determine your value proposition (the unique value you bring your customers)
• Identify and describe your target customers (in detail)
• Set objectives and goals for your content (awareness, engagement, conversions) and design a plan around each of those objectives

3. Know Your Audience Better Than They Know Themselves

The more clearly you define your target customers' attributes, the more effective your marketing will be. This has never been truer than on social media and social advertising.

Social media and blog content that informs and educates customers earns engagement. When you answer questions that your customers didn't know they needed to ask, your earn their loyalty.

In creating ads, Facebook's Ads Manager offers stellar audience targeting but you have to know exactly who you want to reach to realize the best results. You'll spend less and reach more interested buyers when you've spent the time getting to know your target audience.

4. Engage Employees as Advocates

The cornerstone to modern marketing is relevant, holistic content.

Collaboration with and contributions from employees produces quality content that increases search rank, organic traffic, authority and trustworthiness. Employee engagement boosts the quality of your content.

Tapping into the tactic of Employee Advocacy has 3 dimensions:

• Social Media Amplification: Employee engagement in the specific marketing campaigns, events or promotions supports your goals.
• Social Proof: Employees are considered "people like me." When employees advocate for their employer, it brings another layer of comfort for buyers.
• Social Recruiting: The top talent finds its way to you through your employees.

5. Include Employees in Content Creation

One of the challenges for companies and marketers is coming up with enough relevant content that customers need and/or want to engage with. Taking a collaborative approach to these challenges often produces outstanding results and you've got your best "brand experts" at your fingertips.

Employees possess the knowledge and information your customers need and their seasoned expertise fosters more trust than any ad you'll ever run.

6. Stop Trying to Be the Most Popular

"Vanity metrics" are so over. 

Prior to 2013 or so, the game on Facebook and Twitter was to collect likes and followers — vanity metrics. The more you had, the better chance your content would be seen by an audience predisposed to respond. But with social ad targeting capabilities available in  these platforms today, you can now serve the content to the right audience, not just a broad, best guess group that might include them.

7. Go for Quality Over Quantity

In this world of cheap knockoffs, hidden agendas and mud-filled transparency, the reality is that not all social media connections are created equal. We’re searching for authenticity in ourselves and our network and that leads to craving more meaningful interactions.

Regardless of what commands our attention, value is the driver in everything we do. Now that social media has matured, users and companies are discovering that a larger number of social network connections may be less valuable than a smaller, more intimate circle.

If you're looking for a way to rise above the noise, focus on quality over quantity.

8. Practice Empathy and Gratitude

Gary Vaynerchuk has a way of taking all the BS that's out there in the marketing world and distills it down to meaningful information. Gary says the two things he most relies on are empathy and gratitude. I happen to agree and I believe that possessing both of these attributes will not only make you a better marketer but a better human being.

The audience here in this--> video is welcome to ask Gary any question they want. This gal asked him two very profound and thought-provoking questions:

• "What is your secret to greatness?" Gary's answer: EMPATHY
• "When Gary hits rock bottom, what brings you back up?" Gary's answer: GRATITUDE

Music is life. That's why our hearts have beats.

Don't get drowned out by the noise. Do the work to attract, engage and convert your target customers and win the war for attention on social media.

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This article first appeared on Kruse Control Blog.