Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with your audience, building your brand, and growing your business. But how do you stand out from the crowd and get people to engage with your content? How do you create posts that spark conversations, generate leads, and drive sales?
The answer is not as simple as following a formula or copying what others are doing. You need to unleash the social media magic by using some surprising strategies that will make your content irresistible and memorable. Here are 10 of them:
- Tell stories. People love stories. They are emotional, relatable, and memorable. Stories can help you showcase your brand personality, values, and mission. They can also help you illustrate how your products or services can solve your audience’s problems or fulfill their desires. Use stories to hook your audience’s attention, build trust, and inspire action.
Example: Google is a master of storytelling on social media. It uses stories to highlight its products, features, and initiatives in a way that resonates with its audience. For instance, on Instagram, Google shared a story of how its Arts & Culture app helped a woman discover her family history and connect with her ancestors.
- Use humor. Humor is a great way to break the ice, lighten the mood, and make your audience smile. Humor can also help you humanize your brand, show your creativity, and differentiate yourself from your competitors. Use humor to entertain your audience, make them feel good, and encourage them to share your content.
Example: Gillette is a brand that knows how to use humor on social media. It often posts witty and funny content that relates to its products and target audience. For example, on Twitter, Gillette shared a hilarious video of a man shaving his beard after 14 years and surprising his family with his new look.
- Ask questions. Questions are powerful triggers for engagement. They invite your audience to participate, share their opinions, and interact with you and others. Questions can also help you gather feedback, insights, and testimonials from your audience. Use questions to stimulate curiosity, spark discussions, and build relationships.
Example: Apple is a brand that knows how to ask questions on social media. It often posts questions that challenge its audience to think creatively and showcase their skills using its products. For example, on Instagram, Apple asked its followers to share their best photos taken with the Night mode feature on iPhone 12.
- Create polls and quizzes. Polls and quizzes are fun and interactive ways to engage your audience. They can help you test their knowledge, challenge their assumptions, and reveal their preferences. Polls and quizzes can also help you generate leads, segment your audience, and personalize your offers. Use polls and quizzes to educate your audience, gamify your content, and increase conversions.
Example: Always is a brand that knows how to create polls and quizzes on social media. It often posts polls and quizzes that relate to its products and target audience’s interests. For example, on Facebook, Always posted a quiz that asked its followers to guess which of its products had the most absorbency.
- Share user-generated content. User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by your customers or fans that features or mentions your brand. UGC can include reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, or social media posts. UGC can help you boost your credibility, social proof, and word-of-mouth marketing. It can also help you reward your loyal customers, attract new ones, and create a sense of community. Use UGC to showcase your happy customers, amplify their voices, and encourage more UGC.
Example: Renault is a brand that knows how to share UGC on social media. It often posts UGC that showcases its products and customers’ experiences. For example, on Instagram, Renault shared a photo of one of its customers with his new Renault Clio, along with his testimonial.
- Go live. Live video is one of the most engaging forms of content on social media. It allows you to connect with your audience in real time, show them behind-the-scenes glimpses of your brand, and deliver value in an authentic way. Live video can also help you generate buzz, excitement, and urgency around your brand events, launches, or announcements. Use live video to captivate your audience, answer their questions, and create a sense of exclusivity.
Example: Disneyland is a brand that knows how to go live on social media. It often goes live to share its magical moments, celebrations, and attractions with its fans. For example, on Facebook, Disneyland went live to stream the fireworks show at the park.
- Collaborate with influencers. Influencers are people who have a large and loyal following on social media and who can influence their followers’ decisions or behaviors. Collaborating with influencers can help you reach new audiences, increase your brand awareness, and boost your credibility. It can also help you create engaging content that showcases your products or services in a natural and appealing way. Use influencers to leverage their authority, expertise, and creativity.
Example: Philips is a brand that knows how to collaborate with influencers on social media. It often partners with influencers who share its values and vision for health and wellness. For example, on Instagram, Philips collaborated with fitness influencer Kayla Itsines to promote its Airfryer product.
- Run contests and giveaways. Contests and giveaways are effective ways to generate excitement, interest, and engagement on social media. They can help you grow your following, increase your reach, and collect user data. They can also help you reward your existing customers, attract new ones, and create a buzz around your brand. Use contests and giveaways to offer value, fun, and incentives to your audience.
Example: Starbucks is a brand that knows how to run contests and giveaways on social media. It often runs contests and giveaways that relate to its products and seasonal campaigns. For example, on Instagram, Starbucks ran a contest that asked its followers to share their favorite holiday drink using the hashtag #RedCupContest.
- Use emojis and stickers. Emojis and stickers are visual and expressive ways to communicate on social media. They can help you convey your emotions, tone, and personality. They can also help you catch your audience’s attention, enhance your message, and add some flair to your content. Use emojis and stickers to spice up your text, illustrate your points, and make your content more engaging
Example: Netflix is a brand that knows how to use emojis and stickers on social media. It often uses emojis and stickers to express its reactions, opinions, and recommendations about its shows and movies. For example, on Twitter, Netflix used emojis and stickers to create a poll that asked its followers which movie they would watch next.
- Experiment with new formats. Social media is constantly evolving, and so should your content. Experimenting with new formats can help you keep up with the trends, innovate, and surprise your audience. It can also help you discover what works best for your brand, audience, and goals. Use new formats to diversify your content, showcase your versatility, and optimize your results.
Example
Nike is a brand that knows how to experiment with new formats on social media. It often experiments with new formats that showcase its products, values, and messages in creative ways.
For example, on TikTok, Nike experimented with the duet feature to create a campaign that invited users to join its #playinside challenge.
These are some of the surprising strategies that can help you unleash the social media magic and skyrocket your engagement. Try them out and see how they work for you. Remember, engagement is not a one-time thing, but a continuous process that requires creativity, consistency, and value. So keep creating amazing content that connects with your audience and makes them want more from you.
If you need more help with your social media marketing, we have a solution for you. We are a team of experts who can help you create and execute a winning social media strategy that will boost your brand awareness, engagement, and sales. Contact us today and let us show you how we can unleash the social media magic for your business.
