How to connect with your customers on Social Media

When taking the first steps into social media as part of your business’ marketing strategy, it’s important to acknowledge that a whole new way of presenting yourself is required. Simply posting glorified press releases will not cut it with your followers. People who connect with businesses on social media are looking for something more, whether that be extra information, special offers or human interaction with a brand.

When your followers are engaged with a post, they are far more likely to comment or share it (depending on which site you are using). The more a customer or potential customer is inclined to interact with your post, the more connected with your company that person feels. Not only this but any interactions your followers have will be visible to those that they are connected with.

Although different social media sites require different approaches, the core principles are the same. Here are the main three types of post on social media and how best to go about them.

Words – use your words carefully. Keep it simple, concise and informal. Post as a human-being and not as an organisation. People who are connecting with you on social media are looking for a human touch so use a conversational style in your writing. Write how you would speak and not how you would normally write for marketing collateral. Think of interesting titbits that will get people’s attention.

Photos – share photos of ‘business as usual’. Your customers don’t want to see glossy, posed photos on social media, that’s what your website is for. Social media is where you can post Smartphone-type photos of your staff hard at work or travelling to interesting locations for work or even customers using your products. The saying goes that ‘pictures speak louder than words’ and this has never been more apt than in the context of social media. A well chosen and captioned photo is far more likely to attract attention and engage your customers than words alone.

Videos – videos can be an excellent way of speaking to your social media followers if done correctly. A video of you talking about a new product or service for example could be far more effective than a post with a link to more information on your website. Videos should be natural and not come across as scripted. If you are talking about a new product, have an idea of what you are going to talk about but do not memorise a script as this will not wash. The more natural you can appear in a video, the more interesting it will be.

So there you have it, the three main types of post on social media. Don’t forget, a combination of the three, executed well, is most likely to deliver the best results. Happy posting!

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