How to Stand Out On Social Media

Now that seemingly everyone is tweeting, posting and blogging, the question logically arises, “How do I make sure my Social Media activity gets noticed?” For the casual blogger, or those who use Facebook or Instagram to keep up with family and friends, this may be more of a vanity issue than anything else, but if you are using any or many of the popular social platforms to market your products or services, it is critical.

Authenticity, passion, responsiveness, content, diligence and enthusiasm are all words that are often heard from experts in social media. These qualities are crucial if you don’t want your voice to be lost in the sea of millions of messages, posts and tweets.

Here is Innovaision’s top ten list of ideas to make you a Social Media Superstar:

Focus on Quality, not Quantity

Frequent messaging is good, but nothing beats quality content. How many of the people you follow on Twitter or LinkedIn redundantly post self-promotional messages that say nothing more than “Look at me” or “Buy my stuff”? These are the online resources you recognize and tune out quickly. You’re just as likely to recognize and remember the people who always seem to give you something of value, and not only click on their links to see what they are thinking about now, but even actively seek their information online when you want worthwhile reading.

Add Personality

Let your personality come forth in your Social postings. Are you buttoned up and professional, funny or clever, mischievous or even edgy? Put it out there! We like to feel connected to the people whose content we read, and one good way to cultivate that connection (and stand out from others) is to express the things that make us singular as people. One caution, don’t let your personality overwhelm your information, it is possible to be “too cute”!

Know Your Message

One of the most important tenets of Social Media success is knowing what you are trying to accomplish and what message you want to send out into the void. I was recently asked for some recommendations of organizations that were doing a particularly good job in a field in which I have years of experience and I was at a bit of a loss to find one really good example of a successful comprehensive approach. One comment I made was that there seemed to be a lot of confusion about WHO the target audience was (potential clients, funders, supporters, alumni) and as a result the messaging was disconnected and often confusing. Innovaision, LLC for example focuses on helping organizations with Strategy, Technology and Development. You see that readily on our website and every time we post something online we ask ourselves which target is in our sights. Be consistent and focused.

Have a Plan, and follow it

One way to settle into the mediocrity of the masses is to pursue your Social Media plan the way that 95% of the world does – slapdash. If you want to be noticed and followed, you need to create a plan for regularly attending to the SM platforms you have decided to commit to. Intermittent attention does not create fans or a following. As already mentioned, the actual frequency is less important that consistency or content. One really good blog post a week is far more valuable than a half-dozen mediocre articles, and a dozen self-serving or inane Tweets a day are less likely to be noticed than a couple of meaningful posts.

Invest the Time

In line with the last suggestion, recognize that once you make a plan, you will find out quickly how much time you need to set aside every day or every week to execute that plan. Compromise here and you will lose any edge you might develop. Use calendars or checklists to keep you on track. Plan for travel days or vacations by using delayed posting tools so that your messages are working for you even when you are not working. This is true “sweat equity” in the pursuit of an effective business Social Media plan.

Target a Particular Demographic

One way to get the attention of the people you want to reach is to choose a demographic group that you think will be most interested in your products or services and learn where they “hang out” online. What are the trending platforms for teenagers, or new mothers, or retirees? Do your research. There is a lot of information online that will help you find out where the people you want to be found by live. For example, you could start with the Pew Research Social Media Update, or similar studies that will point you where you need to go.

Use Visuals

The latest and greatest advice that most everyone seems to be proffering is Go Visual! Instagram and Pinterest are growing at an amazing rate for a reason. Pictures and videos and motion graphics added to your Social Media postings attract attention and draw in readers and followers. Don’t forget the simple things you can do, like having a good quality photo of yourself or your company logo on your LinkedIn profile or your Twitter homepage.

Make it a Two Way Street

People want to know what you are thinking and talking about, but maybe even more importantly, they want to know that you are listening. If you are using Social Media to promote your products or services, make sure that you look for incoming messages, questions, compliments or complaints, and respond to them in a timely way. If someone retweets one of your Twitter posts, be sure to thank them – guess what will happen next. If you belong to a LinkedIn group, don’t just read what other members write, share your own comments as well. Become part of the conversation, it will pay off!

Connect with the Stars

Creating a genuine connection with media superstars relevant to your interests can create a lot of leverage, even for the smallest business enterprise. You are probably following a few dozen people on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Google+ right now whose interests align with yours. Reach out to these people, retweet or repost their observations, and let them know they are your heroes (I did this recently with some of my favorite experts on presentation skills and got mentions from several of them). If you have a blog, ask your experts if they would be willing to let you interview them and post the content under your authorship. Nothing succeeds like success, and borrowed influence is as valuable as it gets.

Read and Report

Relevance is yet another important concept that can make or break your social media plan. Take the time to read a recent “buzzworthy” book and write a review about it, your readers are noticing the chatter about these books and will appreciate hearing your take. Similarly, exploring a trending topic – this could be anything that people are writing about, from Parkour to Lean Management to Mind Mapping – and sharing your findings with the world will get people’s attention.

That is our list. Pick one or several of these suggestions and go out and become a star!

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