You’ve heard the saying that “content is king,” but the more accurate statement these days is that content AND engagement are king…and queen.
So, what exactly does that mean to you as a very small business owner?
To rule the social media kingdom, you’ll need 1) custom content that differentiates your brand and attracts your prospects as well as 2) regular interaction with your community.
When you look at the social media trends that are effective right now, the overarching theme is conversational, personalized, engaging, visual, and more interactive forms of content.
Social media has gotten a lot more demanding of your time and your money. And, people don’t want ho-hum content. They want Y.O.U. (Your Original Uniqueness) to show up consistently because they need someone trustworthy and different to solve their struggles.
No pressure, right? LOL
People demand more interaction from the brands they follow. And, they expect meaningful conversations and content rather than the same ‘ole stuff they hear all of the time.
For some marketers, this comes naturally. For others, it’s harder to achieve.
So let’s talk more where content meets engagement, and how that’s the one-two punch you’ll need to get more traction from social media marketing.
Being a “Resource” versus Being “The Source”
In the early days of social media marketing, you could post ‘helpful information’ on your business accounts as a way to show value, relevance, and consistency.
All you needed was business-related information with an image, and you were good to go. Your brand was perceived as a valued “resource.”
This social media content strategy was manageable for most. And, it seemed like a good idea. When people visited your profile, you looked engaged and on top of things.
After you posted content, your audience saw it and sometimes responded. Easy peasy.
Today, that strategy isn’t nearly as effective as it used to be. You’re competing with advertisers and algorithms that de-prioritize your content. Organic reach is really low.
Even if your content makes it to your audience, getting people to engage is challenging. There’s too much noise, and people don’t want to be inundated with marketing messages. And, when people don’t engage with your content, it gets shown less because of algorithms.
In today’s social media landscape, being a resource works best if you are “The Source.”
You’ve got to be a content pioneer of sorts. Being The Source means publishing original research, survey results, or other information that can’t be found elsewhere.
As the epicenter of information, you get the accolades, shares, comments, and mentions–aka the engagement.
Getting people to take action (like, share, click, comment, etc.) requires content that people care about and that encourages responses and conversations. As the source, you’ll increase your chances of engagement as well as visibility and authority.
Social Media Content and Engagement as an Avenue to Communication (and Sales)
So how do content and engagement work together so that your social media marketing improves?
Your fans will discover you through your content, especially when you create customized “source” content (mentioned above).
However, your fans will fall in love with you (and buy from you) through your engagement.
The two co-exist like peanut butter and jelly. On their own, they’re good. Together, they’re irresistible.
You have the chance to publish social content that attracts and impacts people, which leads to conversations. And that’s the secret. Direct communication with your audience is a big advantage of social media.
Whatever content you come up with, start believing that the value of social media isn’t in overloading your feed with links but in delivering easily consumed value coupled with interactions.
There’s more riding on your content and engagement than what’s at face value. People want to connect with other people, ideas, and concepts. That’s why movements are so powerful. People buy conviction, personality, and belief systems.
Concentrate on what’s relevant to your audience, what aligns with your business, and what’s core to your mission. Your personality will shine in the process and humanize your brand, making you more relatable and appealing.
And choose the content types that make getting more engagement easier for you. Try different formats to see what works with your audience. If you’re publishing content that doesn’t get engagement, then your marketing won’t be as effective.
Not Sure if Your Content is Engagement-Ready? Try This Exercise
Here’s a quick exercise you can do to assess your content’s value without looking at any metrics.
- Choose one of your social media feeds.
- Review your last 20 posts by labeling each one “you” or “me.”
- Count your YOUs and MEs.
YOU = content that focuses on educating, informing, entertaining, or inspiring your audience to improve their life in some way
ME = content that promotes or benefits your business directly, such as sales, surveys, affiliate links, product descriptions
After you identify your posts and count them, do you have more MEs or YOUs?
More YOUs:
Congratulations, you’re a giver! Your social media content aims to put your audience first and ahead of your business.
More MEs:
Your social media content focuses on what others can do for your business. It’s “me, me, me” content and that’s the vibe you may be giving off.
Of course, this exercise isn’t scientific. However, it does give you a chance to see where your priorities lie when it comes to what you’re publishing on social media. 😉
Now, go one step further with analyzing your posts. Count how many of those posts require a click to get the information.
Clicks to blog posts, videos, and other platforms are more effort for your audience. They have to click to consume…when they don’t even know if that click is worth their time.
I recommend giving some value in your social media posts rather than just posting a link. You can even upload videos directly to platforms these days.
Not only does this provide value, it also gives the reader a chance to decide whether they:
- care about the topic
- desire more detailed information
- want to invest more time in your link.
Is the Investment in Social Media Content and Engagement Worth It?
Content and engagement make the perfect couple because they humanize your brand, increase your visibility, and create conversations that can lead to great opportunities.
That said, I’m doubtful that the investment is worth it for most service-based solopreneurs.
While I do concede that there are solopreneurs doing fabulously well at social media marketing (and they probably have teams), there are way more who aren’t. And that equates to a waste of time and money.
Having a mediocre or non-existent presence on social media isn’t a reason someone went out of business. But wasting time and money is!
Always know what goals are you achieving from social media and ask yourself if there is a more effective, less demanding tactic that can help you achieve those goals.
I know people who bring in six figures who haven’t bothered social media marketing on a consistent basis! So, don’t stress out if you’re not amazing at social media or can’t get it to work for you.
Great content and consistent engagement can improve your results from social media marketing, but they are a lot of work.
If you can hire out this function, then it may be worthwhile–especially when you have a strategic plan, defined goals, and a consistent stream of revenue.
If not, re-evaluate your goals, assess your time commitments, and decide whether or not ruling the social media kingdom really matters to your bottom line. In most cases, it probably doesn’t.
UPDATED OCTOBER 5, 2021 | PUBLISHED JANUARY 17, 2018
Thanks Meghan for the great article!
I am newer into the content marketing scene and Social Media, and some points you made, rally hit the spot within my thinking.
“Algorithms view the lack of engagement as an indicator of undesirable content. They’ll let your post sit on your feed without distributing it. That renders your content useless.” – This hit home with me, as I think I have been one of those “takers”, and posting content just for the sake of posting content. My engagement rate has suffered a bit because of this.
I have written some really engaging and informative articles (the ‘giver” in me), which should be the the main focus for my content sharing. I just have not mixed the schedule up all that well, and upon reading this, need to reevaluate my strategy!
Love your blog…will be back!
Terrific to hear from you, Brad, and thanks for such an honest comment! We’re all going to be takers now and then, it’s part of being human and being in business. 😉 Engaging and informative qualities are the Holy Grail when it comes to content marketing, especially where social media is concerned. It sounds as if you know that it’s time to mix it up and serve your audience a bit better. This is great news! I’m thrilled you found value here and truly appreciate your compliment. Take care and thanks again for taking time out of your busy day to read my post and leave a comment!
Excellent article Meghan. Point well taken about the importance of engagement. I favor using engagement as a way to build relationships but I also treat it as a learning process. There’s much to be learned from the comments that readers leave you and others. I always get a deeper understanding of their areas of interests and problems. It’s lead me to change my focus and get better at communicating my message.
When I began reading your post Meghan, I said to myself “Ha, I will never rule the kingdom with social media being involved”. I set an intention in 2018 to finally get off of the fence on two social media platforms. But I am procrastinating until I return from the Social Media Marketing World event next month.
There is a lot of useful information here, Meghan. I think you are spot on about social media effectiveness. ENGAGEMENT is QUEEN. I like engaging with my audience and respond to comments and questions. I like your approach of counting the ME and YOU posts and the links to evaluate whether we are adding value or not.
I love your graphics – King and Queen. I love you also have video which showcases your pretty face. Yes, social engagement creates relationships and is like a commercial in front of your audience everyday.
You are so right about focusing on the reader and engaging with social media. Great post. I really love the idea about being the source in 2018. Thanks!
Meghan, you gave me a lot to think about. I’ve seen so much change around Social Media (it’s my 12th year on line) and I felt it was time to go back to basics, which in a way is what you’re saying.
We need to go back and be SOCIAL with those that have taken the time to respond to what we’ve asked or shared or asked us questions.
Your post is helping me to rethink my strategies here on the internet and look more into quality rather than quantity.
Meghan I love the video. It is so motivating. I like the idea of spending one hour a day interacting with others on one platform. I usually use FB but am moving into twitter as well. Given the work I do I see that daily videos would be a powerful tool. I appreciate your guidance!
Woah, got kinda lost in the ‘you and me.’ Nice way to think about it but I also know that if I don’t tell them what I can do for them then I am not fulfilling my service to them and possibly we both linger. Yep, I get it is balance and authentic marketing. It all matters for sure. I just want to make sure I stay authentic and not push the ‘you’s’ because now one again I am dangled more fear. Know what I mean?
Good points, Teresa! I think you’re saying you need to pitch some on social. I maintain that social media is meant to stay social. Imagine your follower browsing through images and posts from friends and family. Then they run across a salesy post saying “hiring me because I can help you do…” That’s what Facebook users complained about and that’s why Page content will be throttled even more. When your content is specific, relevant and tied closely to what you do, then your audience will know your area of expertise. Think educational, entertaining, inspiring–and tie that into content that gets your message across. Highlighting your talent through testimonials, reviews, case studies, and user-generated content does a nice job of showcasing your service without a direct pitch. I’ve seen much more success with offering my audience value consistently via social media and moving them to my website or email list where I do much more selling. The “me, me, me” mentality doesn’t produce results in my experience. It’s like Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” – the jabs are the “you’s” (value for your fans) and the “me’s” (offers) are the right hook. From experience, I’ve seen more ‘right hooks’ work off social media than on. If you feel that you’re not being authentic and not fulfilling your service to your audience by leaving out the direct sales pitch, then do what’s right for you. I’m not saying you can’t ever pitch your offer via social. But each one of your social media followers is in a different place in their life and at a different buying step. And pitching at the wrong time can be a turn off. Thanks for your input and feedback. I love different viewpoints and discussion.
Great post. Very useful information. Thank you.
Hello Livia, so good to see you here and thank you for the comment and compliment! Offering tips for your fans on Twitter like you do is a great way to provide value. And, I love that you interact with others as yourself. Awesome!
Great post, Meghan. I like the simplicity of dividing my posts into you’s and me’s – great metric to go by. Also always appreciate and advocate the importance of giving real value. Thank you!
Thank you, Reba! The You’s and Me’s exercise keeps me in check when it comes to my marketing content. I thought it might help some people who were questioning why their social media content is not working as they hoped. I know you focus on delivering value and helping others, keep up the good work!