Going Beyond the Post. What does this mean?

Welcome to a new month! As business owners, entrepreneurs, or solopreneurs, all of the days and months can seem to blend together. Just as we think we’ve caught up with our to-do list here comes more. That is also what keeps us going and striving to knock down the next barrier to reach our own success. As we look ahead into May, a month that welcomes the unofficial start to summer and celebrates two holidays—where in theory we should get a couple of short breaks—I’m inspired to share my thoughts and experience as a woman business owner trying to think Beyond the Post.

What does Beyond the Post mean? For me it is thinking about the meaning of the content we share on social media on behalf of our personal and business brands, and diving into the why behind the post. As the founder of a social selling agency, I witness firsthand how much work goes into even just one social media post. It's not only about the content or the creative visuals, but also about purpose, engagement, and analysis.?

As I've been spending a lot of time lately on the details of new packages for AOU Creative Group and a new online offering, Toolkit Social, I thought this month was an optimal time to break down what goes into a social media post--or at least what should--and why it matters. After all, if we’re going to spend valuable time creating and posting content, we need to have a plan for why we’re doing it.

Strategy always? starts with a series of questions.?

• What message do we want to convey to our audience??
• Is it promoting a new product or service, sharing company culture or industry insights??
• Where do our target readers hang out online?
• What pressing problem keeps them up at night?
• How do we best connect to them as people (not prospects)?

Once we have these answered, we have what we need to fine-tune and develop a clear objective. This means deciding what goal we want to achieve through each post, such as increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or generating leads.

Content and Engagement come next?

Now we have to focus on the content. The content should be high-quality and align with the campaign or brand’s messaging. We also need to consider the visual elements like photos, videos, or graphics. All of these elements need to be cohesive, stay on brand, and be attention-grabbing to compel audiences to read and interact with the post.

Once we have our post ready, we need to think beyond it. What happens after we hit the "publish" button? This is the engagement phase, where we engage with our followers, respond to comments and messages, and share the post across our other social media channels. We have to keep the conversation going to boost engagement and build relationships with our audience. Engagement is crucial as it helps with brand trust, loyalty, and ultimately increases our online presence.

Tracking the numbers

Finally, is the area I know so many forget, we need to analyze our post's performance. This involves monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), such as likes, shares, comments, and website activity generated from the post. By measuring and analyzing our social media posts, we can gain valuable insights into what worked and what didn't, and subsequently refine our social media strategy.

It's important to keep in mind that all aspects of our digital marketing need to be cohesive and stay on brand. Effective marketing isn't just about the post itself, but also about how it fits within our overall marketing campaigns and messaging. We have to also ask ourselves if our personal and professional brand image align with what we post or write. This is why creating a solid, cohesive brand voice is critical for your online presence.

Take it from me, crafting a great social media post requires planning, creativity, engagement, and analysis. It's not just about one post, but it's building and nurturing relationships with our audience and staying true to our brand values.?

Here's my challenge to you as we are about to start a new month. Begin to think beyond the post and elevate your digital marketing strategies to achieve your goals. Think before you post and decide if that one post is worth the time you are about to put into it or if there's something else to do to support your brand and business goals.

Need help? Let’s chat https://calendly.com/aoucreative/exploratory-call