What is the Secret to Standing out on Social Media Anyway?

Do we even realize how fast we swipe through our personal feeds, emails, sales pitches, tweets and blog posts? We are constantly deciding where we should spend our minute attention spans. In fact, I know you're going to scroll through this to see the highlights! So, what's the secret to standing out on social media and not being a 'scroll by'? Personality. Plain and simple. Here's how to amp yours up...fast!

“You’re either adding value or taking up space.”

— Sally Hogshead

I love this quote by Sally Hogshead. She goes on to say that when you speak or write something - don't be human spam. We all have the same 24 hours in the day, what are you saying to your fans, clients and future customers? How are you interacting with them on social media? Do you exude a certain personality, style, voice? Is it edgy? Fun? Flirty? Educating?

Look at each and every post and ask yourself these questions: 

• Does it provide value?
• Does it teach my ideal client something?
• Does it entertain?
• Does it encourage my super fan to share?

Does it communicate my transparency and willingness to learn more about my customers?

“One thing I always say is that it is easier to sell to a friend than it is to a stranger. Being human is so important. So often through social platforms we see companies selling, selling, and selling some more...Nothing is cooler than when a personal brand or company replies or acknowledges your comment or engages with something you’re interested in.”

— Connor Blakley

Connor Blakley wrote the quote above. He is an entrepreneur, Fortune 500 business consultant, popular speaker, and he's 17. Think about it - when you truly connect with a brand - either because you wear their clothing, eat their product, drive their car or have experienced an event with them, you have become invested. It doesn't have to be monetarily, but it's usually, emotionally.

Here's one example of an OK social media connection.

Recently, my husband drove a winged sprint car at a dirt track as part of a gift I bought him to the Kenny Wallace Driving Experience. My husband has 'everything' he wants. So, I buy him experiences for birthdays, holidays, etc. I usually bring the camera along and shoot the event. Then, I make it into a photo book to look at for years to come. We're invested. I bought the experience, I liked their social media, I posted the photos, did a review and waited for confirmation on Twitter that they 'liked my Tweet and if I was lucky - reTweeted it'. They did - 2 days later. The excitement had sorta worn off, but at least they did it. Some companies completely ignore you when you praise them, others, well, they do it right. Here's one example of that.

Here's an example of a GREAT social media connection!

Sullivan's Steakhouse is a high-end exclusive chain of restaurants throughout the US. They are amazingly delicious, but pricey, so it's not on our usual 'go-to' date night list - especially with two teenage daughters in tow. However, I received a postcard (yes - SNAIL MAIL) and it mentioned their 20th Anniversary Celebration limited time $35 menu. Perfect! I went ahead and made a reservation. They did not disappoint. Being a social media gal, I really appreciated their 'hashtags' efforts as well:

See the difference? Here's another fun example from a client I have now.

Use personality to create a VISUAL social media experience.

I have a client in Austin, TX that owns a Fiber-Seal franchise. She protects fine soft goods and fibers from stains, etc. It may not seem like the most exciting product in the world, however, Terri (she has the same name as me!), is a dynamo. She's a hoot to talk with, and I wanted her personality to shine in her social media. So, we created BitMojis of her, and started 'Ask Terri Tuesdays' and she answers some common questions that homeowners and designers have about cleaning and caring for fabrics.

“We want nothing more than to be engaged with as a human. We want to know ‘the why.’ Stir up our emotions. Tell a story. Of course, older generations value this as much as younger ones. But the Millennial and Gen-Z attention graph (through social media) is so much smaller, you have a very small margin for error. So you need to make sure you do it right while you have the chance.”

— Connor Blakley

So, your key takeaways are:

• Add value, educate your ideal audience
• Exude personality
• Make true and sincere connections with your social media followers and super fans
• Connect while it's HOT and the fan is excited (or angry)
• Find an emotional way to trigger people to act or react

Thanks for taking the time to read all the way through! If you'd like a quick checklist to make sure your fans are finding YOU online, click here!

Stay social,

Terri