How to share a post that your customers will love - #CorporateSurvivalKit

The minimalist guide to becoming a social media champion in 6 steps

1. Share posts using your own text:

Some posts come with a predefined, general description that you can use when sharing. Making that text your own helps tailors your posts to your audience.

By using my own words in the description just above the image, I could highlight 3 ideas from the video that my audience might relate to: 1) it contains best practices for medium-sized companies, 2) it shows how to address supply chain needs and 3) it argues businesses can use technology to make the world a better place.

You should always highlight in your description why your LinkedIn network should click on the links you share. Make a compelling argument for them to want to invest time to watch a video or read a blog post.

2. Choose the post according to your interests:

According to MarketingProfs, users share content online for 3 reasons: to entertain (44%), help others develop (25%) and reflect their identity (20%).

No matter why you share a post with your customers, your choice of content will tell them something about you. Make sure it paints a genuine picture!

Try to find a personal connection with the topic. If you are passionate, it will show. In this case, I love raising awareness on issues like modern slavery and unequal pay. By sharing your real passion, you will create genuine rapport with those customers and colleagues who share your interests.

If you cannot find anything interesting in the post, that will probably be the case for your audience, too. As usual, the details matter. What was really striking about the video for me, was that the chocolate bar is unequally divided to reflect the unfair division of profit in the cocoa supply chain.

Also, I chose to highlight this story because they named the brand ‘Tony’s Chocolonely’ – how cute is that?

3. Understand the post:

Make sure you understand the post and can summarize it for your customers.

According to Forbes, 59% of social media users will share a post without reading it. Friends might let you off the hook with posts you share on Facebook, but if you want to maintain a professional image in the eyes of your customers, you should be able to answer questions they might have about your posts. Thus, they will continue to read your posts because they know you take the time to evaluate content and only share what you believe to be valuable with them.??

If one of my customers asked me about the video, I would say it shows how Planning Budgeting Cloud (PBCS) helps address a customer’s challenge: planning their inventory of beans to match a bean-to-bar policy. This policy means they only use their own beans to avoid buying their cocoa from an anonymous stock which they fear might promote the inequality they are fighting against.

4. Ask yourself: why would my audience care?

In this case, some of my customers have the same product as the one advertised. A lot of them are in the same industry. Some of them asked me why they should buy Planning and Budgeting when they already have modules from Supply Chain like Inventory and Planning. I also have a few colleagues and customers who are just as passionate about giving back to the community as I am.?See how one of my customers brings affordable and sustainable energy to alleviate poverty.

The most popular marketers know the profile of their typical audience member in detail and generate engagement by delivering posts which are important to the people who read it.

5. Always share content with an end goal in mind:

In public speaking, one is always encouraged to start their discourse with the ending in mind. That helps people organize their ideas in an easy-to-follow manner, around what they hope to achieve with the discourse (e.g.: sell an idea to the audience, make them join a class). It can also help you write a fluent description that will make you post more appealing.

My end goal was to make my customers feel more comfortable about Cloud.

In the video I shared, the IT-manager focuses on the difference between On-premise & Cloud. I especially liked that as I take every opportunity to remind my customers about this difference and how Cloud can help them cut IT costs.

Some customers may fear that they would be ignored if they are a not-so-big company and the story proves otherwise – which is why I used the keyword medium-sized in the description.

The video also debunks the myth that Cloud is one-size-fits-all and does not cover exceptional issues, a common Cloud concern.

6. Points to consider when writing for social

Length

The experts recommend different types of lengths for social media posts. You can verify how yours does against recommendations by using the?Social Media Character Counter from SproutSocial.

Try to be short but include information about what you are sharing, why you are telling them this and optionally, what you expect them to do after they are done reviewing.

Tone

Do not use the same corporate jargon that your audience hears everywhere else. Sound human. Keep the tone friendly, but professional.

Help the business tell a story that makes sense to your audience. Read more about?storytelling?from?Alan Oram.

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes to check your language:

? Will they understand your terminology?

? How will they interpret the tone?

? Are you answering the questions they might have related to the topic?

Engagement

Be fun and positive! Put your audience first – ask yourself what they WANT to know. It’s not enough to share content – also test and see what they respond to: videos, blog posts, info-graphics.

Start with a purpose in mind: What impact do you want to have or what do you want people to do, think or feel as a result from your post? Think about your personal brand – how do you want them to remember you?

Make a promise:?Do you use these 21 techniques to engage with your audience??- implies the reader's business writing will improve after reading. See more examples in?John Morrow's guide:?52 Headline Hacks.

Shaping your next LinkedIn post

If you want to increase the likelihood of a customer liking your post, share it with your own words in the description. Choose what you share according to your end goals, your passions and your audience's possible interests. Make sure you understand it well enough to be able to manage discussions with the customers who will comment upon it.

What did you find most useful? Let me know in the comments' section!

The statements and opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Oracle Corporation