PART ONE: Post-COVID Game Plan for Social
I don’t need to give a recap of 2020—we all experienced it’s lows and deeper lows—but I do want to talk about how social media relationships between brands and clients evolved during 2020.
A brand’s Instagram/Facebook post is now much more than just a reposted pretty photo or funny meme. It must be Value Added Content (VAC). What does that mean? Value Added Content means a post must offer authentic, intrinsic value through education and/or inspiration to the social media community. Through personal photography, videography, and consistently posting using all of social media’s new features, your brand’s authentic philosophy and point of view will shine. This VAC forges an emotional reaction and connection between you and your audience so they will stay interested, feel a personal connection, and become part of your loyal following.
Now let’s increase the value of your VAC even more. Your posts are feeling authentic and original—from what you say in the caption to how they look. But how much are you engaging with your loyal following or with other brands? Social media is a two-way street. With 130 million users on Instagram in the US alone, you can't just rely on a hashtag strategy to build a strong, active following. If you want to gain visibility and traction, you must engage with your Instagram posts and other brands’ posts so the algorithm recognizes you as a valuable part of the community. You must also utilize all the engagement features Instagram offers: posting to your Feed, posting to Stories, posting to IGTV, going Live, and utilizing engagement features in Stories (i.e. polls, quizzes, questions, and running ads). The algorithm will prioritize those who use all these available features. Just like at an in-person party, you wouldn’t walk away—you would create opportunities to have more conversations or keep the conversation going!
The more active you are on social media, the more your brand is prioritized—and this can help you learn a lot about your business. Comments and conversations between you and your followers and/or other brands will help you learn what clients are liking and disliking, which in today’s small business landscape will allow you to stay ahead of the curve and evolve your business. It’s exhausting to spend time and energy on creating posts that get minimal visibility. So put money behind those posts that represent your brand so well, and get out there and start chatting with your followers and the brands you love and support.
Social media is now a community of authentic conversations with quality posts and stories. Prioritizing spending time and money on Instagram and your brand will become visible in a bigger community, which grows a loyal fan base, and move you towards that all-important goal of more business walking through your doors or shopping online
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Stay tuned for PART TWO where I’ll talk about the types of social media posts you need—we’re talking quality over quantity!—to stand out in the saturated social media market.