By now, you have probably heard about the update to Facebook’s algorithms that have a major impact on reach, and subsequently engagement, on your Facebook posts. So how do you create posts that generate Facebook leads given the new changes that have decreased the reach of your posts? It takes a dose of detail mixed with a little creativity.
Be Authentic
There is nothing worse than falling in love with a brand only to find out when you visit their website or store, that they are nothing like what they appeared to be on social media. Your fans want to connect with the real you, not a “socially modified” version of you.
This post from Martha Stewart where she recounts a holiday spent alone and all of the regrets that go along with it is very real and authentic. It was also wildly engaging with over 5,000 likes and around 250 shares. People love authenticity:
Be Helpful
Think about the brands or people you engage with on social media. What about them is engaging and captivating for you? You obviously like them enough to voluntarily follow them, but have ever stopped to ask why? We bet it’s because the content they share is helpful or meaningful to you. Whether it’s an awesome How-To Ebook, a step-by-step blog post, or simply an entertaining or inspirational quote or picture that hit the nail on the head for you, they provided something of value to you.
Now think about who you’re trying to reach and you’ll start to uncover their pain points. Whatever those pain points are, you need to find a way to help solve those problems. What happens once you tap into them? Well, that’s what we like to call #Boom.
Williams-Sonoma created a helpful post that shared 5 ways (besides waffles) to use a waffle maker. The post was visually stimulating and tapped into National Waffle Day. And as a bonus, it incorporated additional uses for their great product:
Be Positive
Don’t be a Debby Downer when it comes to social media posts or tweets. This includes complaining, whining, bad-mouthing, or pointing “social” fingers at other people in a negative way. Try to keep controversial comments and views to a minimum. If you must bring up those types of topics, ask your fans what they think, instead of giving your opinions too readily.
Why not be a fan of your fans! Read and retweet what their tweeting, and comment on their comments on your page or account. Engage in a positive way with their content. Be inspirational.
Real Simple posts helpful and inspirational tips to motivate their readers, which in turn help with both engagement and a positive brand image. Here’s one example:
Be Generous
Your fans love when you give them something for free. In fact, offer posts receive higher engagement than any other Facebook post type. Don’t think of offers and promotions as giving away something for nothing. It shows that you firmly stand behind your product or services and that you are positive they will turn into repeat customers. Remember that you’re building brand loyalty and love that will spread to others through positive word of mouth.
Be Proactive
Instead of waiting for your customers to come to you, draw them in with thoughtful planning and powerful content; or what we call an Inbound Marketing Strategy. Be constantly on the look out for new and fresh ways to provide an integrated experience for your fans. Google is loving (and rewarding) amazing and unique content including blogs, white papers, and Ebooks. You’ll rank higher in search engine results if your content is based around sought after keywords. For example, using our highly insightful nerd technology, we know that “posts that generate Facebook leads” is a hot keyword; and perhaps exactly why you ended up right here, on this blog. A little food for thought…
This post from Gold's Gym SoCal is great because it contains a link to information on the benefits of Yoga, plus Yoga moves and classes. But what’s even better is in addition to the blog post, visitors can see links to even more helpful material like the 21-Day Yoga Transformation download:
We take our clients and their marketing goals seriously and would love to speak with you about how WindFarm Marketing can help create a more aggressive and effective approach to your social media marketing. Let’s chat today!
