What Sort of Content Should I Be Pushing on Social Media?

One of my favorite things to do is listen. It feels natural because I’m an introvert and it’s provided me wonderful insight with those I interact with daily, including prospects and clients. With respect to Social Media and other digital marketing, active listening can be the best tool you have in your arsenal.

I was privy to a conversation the other day during a training I was conducting. It was at the beginning of the workshop and the attendees were just getting to know each other. The conversation always comes around to Social Media, mainly because that’s what they’re there to learn but also because so many business owners and salespeople have difficulty understanding what’s “right” and what’s “wrong” to post.

Content strategy (getting the right message to the right customer at the right time) is something that gets ignored as people venture out into Social Media marketingland.

• You need to know your brand’s purpose and value.
• You need to know who your ideal customers are.

Dissecting these two “creatures” is often not part of people’s Social Media marketing plan, even though it’s the most important. Without content strategy, you have nothing to build from.

So, in this conversation I witnessed, they were talking about the “Do’s and Don’ts” of Social Media. As students of the medium, they ultimately had this burning question:

“What sort of content should I be pushing on Social Media?

Begin with the ideal mindset

“Pushing” content is not the right approach. Refrain from the idea of pushing and embrace the act of engaging. Content strategy is your friend. It’s what’s going to support you when you run out of ideas and get overwhelmed.

Refrain from taking old media paradigms and applying them to New Media

Doing this will get you nowhere, fast. Blasting sales messages on Social Media is exactly what not to do. Rather than “pushing” content, consider what your audience (re: ideal customers) are looking for and give it to them.

Provide the ideal content mix

Listen to your customers. What are they asking? Admittedly, Social Media and content strategy does require an intuitive sense; an ability to empathize with your customer.

Your content mix should reach all stages of the buying cycle:

• Those who are not in-market yet
• Those who are thinking about buying
• Those who are ready to buy
• Those who have bought before

Focus on “Hyper-Local Content”

Hyper-Local Content is that content which comes from inside your business’s daily operation and it’s what shines on Social Media. Hyper-Local content stars your employees and your customers. Those stories are what’s unique about you and your business and that’s what will get you noticed.

Learn to tell your story with pictures, written word, and videos. Choose the medium that you feel most comfortable with and start creating. Act like a publisher not a pusher.

If you’re new or you’re unsure about what type of content to publish on Social Media, it’s best to work with a Social Media content strategist to lay down the components of your own brand (“Why People Buy From You”) and your ideal audience (their needs, problems and concerns) before you venture out onto social channels.

Remember, act like a publisher not a pusher.

Get your Social Media content strategy in place and it will be 100 times easier to create and produce valuable content that fosters leads, customers and sales.