Communication professionals know that staying on top of the latest trends in social media can be a full-time job. In the not too distant past, social media was a secondary tactic used within marketing campaigns. Fast forward to today and brands have a major opportunity to leverage their message and reach a broader audience than ever before when relying on social media alone. However, this isn’t necessarily an easy win. It’s important to position social media posts so that they stand out in oversaturated feeds. Here are 5 tips to executing impactful social media content: 

Consistency is key

Consistent messaging can make or break a cohesive, mature social media presence. No matter how big or small the client, consistency with the existing brand kit used in advertising materials or the company’s website can evoke a seamless transition to social media. Popular content creation applications such as Canva make it easy to upload font styles, HTML color codes, and logos for quick access. Similarly, caption and post copy should repeat the verbiage and taglines seen elsewhere in the brand visuals.

Know your objective 

Paid social media campaigns are typically boosted by objective – whether it be to generate leads, improve engagement, or increase brand awareness. With the right goals, the same strategies can be applied to organic social media campaigns, as well. Content focused to a targeted audience packs more of a punch and a clear call-to-action directs the viewer to the right article, website, or sign-up page. 

#usetherighthashtags

Hashtags were popularized on Twitter when it emerged as a massive social media platform in the late 2000s. Some 15 years later and hashtags are now used across the internet and even colloquially (#sorrynotsorry). Hashtags are one of the most harmonious ways to create a singular channel for discussion on given topics. Keeping an eye on industry trend hashtags is a great way to complement existing posts and engage with users who may not otherwise see the content. It’s also a chance to contribute to mainstream days/weeks/months such as #smallbusinessweek or… #nationalmargaritaday. 

A picture is (literally) worth a thousand words

To circle back to our friend Canva, graphic design platforms make it easy to create visually appealing creative content using existing templates. Posts that include an image perform statistically better than their copy-heavy counterparts, so it is a good idea to incorporate a visual element whenever possible. Generally, pictures featuring people grab the most attention, so keeping a database of headshots for company spokespeople can come in handy when promoting webinars or highlighting a quote in an interview. 

Include tracking analytics 

Not all social media strategies are created equal and what works for one client won’t necessarily work for another. That is why it is imperative to use metrics such as follower count, likes, and clicks to evaluate the overall success of a post or campaign. Including a bitly link not only abbreviates the landing page URL, but counts the number of clicks. Regularly reviewing these metrics enables content to be improved over time.