Social Media Essentials

Native Content

Native content is tailor making content to the language, tone and mannerisms of a specific social media platform, as compared to re-purposing the same content across all your social media channels.

One of the biggest mistakes big brands make is to insist that their tone remain exactly the same no matter what platform they’re using.

You can’t just re-purpose old material created for one platform, throw it up on another one, and then be surprised when everyone yawns in your face.

Have to speak the social media platform’s language: No one would ever think it was a good idea to use a print ad for a television commercial, or confuse a banner ad for a radio spot.

Like their traditional media platform cousins, every social media platform has its own language.

It is crafted to mimic everything that makes a platform attractive and valuable to a consumer—the aesthetics, the design, and the tone.

What works on Facebook won’t necessarily work on Twitter. Stories told through pictures on Instagram don’t resonate the same way when told in an identical manner on Pinterest.

Be a part of the experience, not an interruption to it

The right content for the right platform: Some support text-heavy content; others are better suited for richly designed visuals. Some allow hyperlinks; others don’t. These differences are not minor—putting the wrong kind of content on a platform will doom your marketing efforts. Many companies just don’t take the time to learn the platform’s native ways before throwing content on it 

Your content should reflect what your audience is on the network for: Social networking sites light up people’s dopamine pathways and the pleasure centers of their brain. Your content must do the same, and it will if it looks the same, sounds the same, and provides the same value and emotional benefits people are seeking when they come to the platform in the first place. In other words, it will if it is native. 

Gary Vaynerchuk – Digital Marketing Expert, Online Entrepreneur, Author – Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook / Crush It / The Thank you Economy

Jabs

Jabs: Jabs are the lightweight pieces of content that benefit your customers by making them laugh, snicker, ponder, play a game, feel appreciated, or escape. The most effective jabs are actually the gentlest. They are thrown with “native” content, which seamlessly blends in with the platform’s offerings and tells stories that engage the consumer at an emotional level.the long-term financial worth of a person’s smile, giggle, snort, and even her tears is invaluable.

Right hooks: right hooks are calls to action that benefit your businesses. The emotional connection you build through jabbing pays off on the day you decide to throw the right hook.

The secret mantra: Jab, jab, jab, jab, jab . . . right hook! Or . . .Give, give, give, give, give . . . ask.

Jabbing is simple: Jab at people, all the time, every day.Talk about what they’re talking about. When they start talking about something different, talk about that instead. Repeat.Repeat.

6 rules of outstanding content
It’s Native
It doesn’t interrupt 
It doesn’t make demands – often
It leverages pop culture 
It’s micro
It’s consistent and self aware

Gary Vaynerchuk – Digital Marketing Expert, Online Entrepreneur, Author – Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook / Crush It / The Thank you Economy

While it is perfectly fine to occasionally pitch a product or affiliate offer, the majority of your posts and emails should be pure value

Gundi Gabrielle – Author – Kindle Bestseller Publishing / Passive Income Blueprints

Engage

Engaging with your audience and social media network, is essential to keep them interested in your message and coming back for more. A failure to engage with your audience, is a recipe for social media oblivion. The following are some of the many recommended ways to engage your audience across social media channels.

Ask their opinion: Make it fun and exciting to be a part of your brand. An easy way to engage people is by simply asking their opinion. Ask them what topics they would like you to cover. Have them vote on their TOP 10 favorite posts on your blog. Ask their favorite authors or books in your field and why (or podcasters, bloggers, YouTubers, etc.).

AMAs: AMA stands for “Ask Me Anything” and has become the cyber cool for Q&A with your followers.

Rewards: Reward your members with special offers they cannot get anywhere else. Examples: special discounts once in a while, a free day for your books, a special training webinar only for members, advance notice and pricing for new products

More exciting: do something exciting every once in a while—something that gets them engaged. Examples could be: Run a quiz. Run a larger survey and share the results in an extensive blog post with quotes from your audience with their permission. Let them vote on a new mascot or name. Share a pivotal life story and how it changed you. Ask them to share their own, either publicly or just with you. This can also be featured in a series of blog posts.

Gundi Gabrielle – Author – Kindle Bestseller Publishing / Passive Income Blueprints

Analytics

The real-time feedback that social media makes possible allows brands and businesses to test and retest, with scientific precision, what content connects with their audience, and what leaves them cold.

At what times do we see the highest level of response? What happens when we use slang? How does the same image work with different taglines? Did it make a difference to add a hashtag? Is there an increase in engagement when we put out animated GIFs? The answers are out there if you learn how to test properly and correctly interpret the data.

Gary Vaynerchuk – Digital Marketing Expert, Online Entrepreneur, Author – Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook / Crush It / The Thank you Economy

Call to Action

Include a Call to Action In that same line, wherever possible, end your posts with a “Call-to-Action” (CTA). This can be a request to answer a question or share an opinion in the comments, tag someone, share, like – and occasionally click on a link.

“Call to Action” is a little “command” to let your audience know what you want them to do:

Gundi Gabrielle – Author – Kindle Bestseller Publishing / Passive Income Blueprints

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