In a slight change from normal service, I’d like to write a quick thing about social media.

It’s something that’s been bugging me recently so there’s no better time to get it off my chest than my first day back at work after a holiday.

If you search “tips for social media success” or other variations of the same on the internet, you get a gazillion results offering all sorts of good (and some highly questionable) advice.

Popular pearls of wisdom include:

• always spell-check your posts.
• know the rules and conventions of each platform and amend your posts accordingly.
• identify your goals and your audience.
• keep your messaging on-brand and consistent.
• track KPIs and regularly review your strategy.
• partner with influencers.

All good, sensible guidance that’s important to consider when you’re thinking about your social media strategy. However, the two things that have been most effective for me in terms of social media marketing are as follows.

(Bonus – you don’t need a marketing degree and jargon glossary to understand them).

Be a human

Be a human, not Corp Bot 3000.

Everyone knows that social media accounts are (for the most part) run and monitored by real live people. It’s no secret. So why not act like one?

Writing conversationally, Rather Than Shouting The Title Of The Article You’re Posting #followed #by #a #million #hashtags, encourages conversation (engagement!!) with other users.

It’s the single easiest way to get people to share your stuff and build an active and engaged online following.

Engage with other humans

The clue’s kind of in the name: social media.

Comment on other people’s posts, share their content (as long as it’s good quality) and join in their conversations. It’s a good opportunity to show off your knowledge and experience, and make new connections with people who are interested in the same things as you.

Be careful not to brag though – remember it’s about joining in a conversation rather than steamrolling right through it. Don’t be THAT guy.
It really is as simple as that. No gimmicks. No dark magic. No expensive subscriptions to apps.

Just be yourself.

First published on felicitywild.com