Social media is a great way to create brand awareness for your small business and drive growth. But it follows a completely different rule set to other, more traditional marketing channels. Simply promoting your products and services won’t do. In order to succeed, you need to find a way to use the people behind your small business to add personality to your social media marketing.
Just think about it: Do you enjoy following a company that is constantly churning out posts that seem to have been written by bots? Of course not! You want to feel like you’re following human beings, no matter how large the business is.
So in order to be successful on Facebook, Twitter, or any other platform of your choice, you have to be sociable and add personality to your content. Here are my favourite ways to be more authentic on social media – and gain trust and loyalty from your followers in the process.
1. Post team photos & selfies
The most obvious and effective way to add personality to your content is to show your face. Help people get to know who’s behind the business by posting photos of your team or yourself.
For example, snap a photo of yourself at an event, rather than just putting up a generic photo of the venue. If your team are working on a particular project, post a photo of them working together.
You can also take a photo at the networking event you’re attending. Or you can grab a selfie when meeting another small business owner for coffee and tag them in it. Show your followers that there are real people behind your small business, not robots!
Read more about what to post on social media to grow your small business.
2. Include non-business related posts
Another easy way to be more personable is to include non-business related posts. If you’re constantly posting about your products or services, your followers will quickly get bored.
To add personality, it’s good to post a mixture of business and non-business content to keep things interesting. For example, you could share an article you’ve enjoyed reading. Or you can post a photo of your favourite local coffee shop or even a few snaps of your latest holiday.
Obviously, you’ll still want to keep things professional (so it’s best to avoid photos of you in a bar at 3 am!). But sharing little bits of your team’s daily life is a great way to give your small business a face on social media.
In order to achieve this, you have to ensure you have your work/life balance right – how else will you have non-business things to discuss?! For my top tips on balancing work and life as a small business owner, check out this post!
3. Do your own thing
Just because other people are posting a certain type of content, it doesn’t mean you have to as well. Don’t copy what other businesses are doing just for the sake of it. Stick with your own brand personality and stand out from the crowd.
For example, to add personality to your content you don’t have to post a #MotivationMonday or #ThrowbackThursday post every week. These might work once in a while, but repeating them regularly can seem boring and it might not even be relevant to your business.
Instead, think about the content you like to see on social media. Whatever inspires you (and whatever you think your followers will connect with) is a great place to start.
Remember – not everything other people post is going to be a trend with a lasting impact! Learn how to tell the difference between a marketing trend or a fad here!
4. Be honest
Your social media doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to pretend your small business is perfect either. We’re all human (even, or possibly especially, on social media!).
So there’s no harm in asking questions, admitting mistakes or posting about how you’ve learned from failures. Quite the opposite, I’m sure it’ll gain you more trust and loyalty from your followers if you do so.
This is also a great way to connect with other small business owners on social media. Create a support network where you can ask questions and learn how to make your business better. Offer your knowledge too, and your followers will appreciate your honesty and your expert tips.
5. Sound like a human
To avoid your social media profiles becoming too “business-y”, stop using an overly professional or business-like tone of voice. Get rid of any business jargon and speak in the casual tone of voice you would use when speaking to your friends.
This will make you seem much more approachable and will remind people that there’s a real person behind the social media handles.
The best way to be a human on social media is just to be yourself. Don’t overthink things too much – just talk (or write) how you would normally.
6. Behind the scenes posts
Another easy way to give your small business’s social media more personality is to include behind the scenes posts. Show a corner of your workspace or desk to show people what your office is like.
Or share sneak peeks of plans for new products or what your team is working on right now. You could even post what you had for breakfast as you answered this morning’s emails!
Posts like these are a great way to balance the social and the business side of your social media marketing. And it’s a great way to remind them of your products and services without becoming too pushy, salesy or boring.
Keen to make sure you’re consistently putting out this kind of content? That’s why you need a social media content plan – check out this post for my tips on how to make one!
7. Make use of video content
While it can feel intimidating to start with, video content is an amazing way to add personality to your content. Particularly if you’re a service-based business, and your brand is, to a large extent, you!
Start small. It doesn’t have to begin with an hour-long live video! Why not just test out filming a couple of Instagram stories! They’re short and snappy, don’t require anything more than your phone and an Instagram account to create, and they are really popular. You can film them as many times as you like before hitting publish, allowing you to get your confidence up and practice a bit.
The great thing about video content (aside from its continuously rising popularity) is how deeply it allows your audience to connect with you and your team. Even more so than a photo, a short video clip, where they can hear you speak about your passions and expertise can be a game-changer!
I hope these tips helped you find new ways to add personality to your social media accounts! When it comes right down to it, the best way to do it is just to get involved! Whether it’s a selfie, a BTS snap or a video of you at an event, it will help your audience connect. And that’s the first step to gaining their trust and earning their long term loyalty.
KEEP READING
To read more about this topic, have a look at these:
Why You Should Focus on Your Social Media Engagement
3 Steps to Raise Your Brand Awareness With Social Media Marketing
7 Ways to Turn Your Social Media Followers Into Paying Customers
Which Social Media Scheduling Tools Should I Use? A Breakdown of the Best
