Why You Should Be Using the 'Rule of Thirds' When it Comes to Social Media

Maintaining a successful social media presence can be a daunting task — juggling your profiles on multiple platforms while keeping pace with the ever-changing social media world is intimidating. Fortunately, there’s a ‘golden rule’ of social media strategy that involves a simple formula, but one that is often overlooked: The Rule of Thirds.

It is highly recommended that social media accounts abide by the rules of thirds: 1/3 promoting your product or services, 1/3 interacting with others, and 1/3 sharing industry news and tips you believe your followers could benefit from.

It’s important that you balance your social media posts just as you would your face-to-face conversations with a friend. Endorse things that others have done, show that you’re involved in relevant news, and limit how much you talk about yourself.

Promote

First and perhaps foremost in your mind: Promotion. This is often where an organisation’s social media attention focuses, as it’s easiest to talk about what you know best — your own goods and services. When giving a speech, it’s not uncommon to include a personal anecdote to amplify the message.

The speech loses value, however, when the anecdote becomes the bulk of the message. What was originally meant to supplement the main idea has now become the focus, and this is where many accounts exert most of their social media efforts.

Engage/Interact With Your Audience

It’s in the name -- ‘social’ media. It exists to become a platform where people can interact and share experiences with each other. Conversing with your audience could be as simple as liking an influencer’s post, retweeting or sharing someone else’s message, or mentioning a follower when you post a question to start a conversation in your community.

Ignoring the conversational aspect of social media is similar to a conference speaker skipping the Q&A section of the seminar. Without creating an environment to listen to the audience, you’re sending an “I don’t care about your input” type of message, and that could bring an abrupt end to any community building.

The last element of the social media rule of thirds goes into the bigger picture, and brings us to the share phase.

Share

Just as conversations show interest in other people, sharing relevant content shows interest in your industry, something greater than your brand.Using content that revolves around organizations like your own shows a greater comprehension of the industry.

The bottom-line for creating social media communities that will thrive is all about finding a balance. Aiming for 1/3 promotion, 1/3 conversation, and 1/3 industry information, you can deliver the most effective messaging to your audiences.