People often whirl away their time on social media for fun. I bet only a few people are on social media for business. Many are not aware of the benefits social media can bring if used in the right way.
Even some companies in Nigeria are not intentional about the use of social media; they often see it as a time-waster.
I read an article written by a LinkedIn connection, Fabio Marrama. He talked about how to win big on Social Media. Here are some extracted contents from his article titled article, “I bet you hear this every day on social media. Just give value. Am I right?”
Social media is a hundred percent value. You need to give people a reason to always come to your page.
Fabio emphasized further, “You need to serve up “value” in order to grow a community online.”
- Do people wonder what does “giving value” mean?
- How do I “give value” when I have no basic or prior knowledge of the word value on social media.
- Is it even possible to give value on social media?
Yes, it is possible.
First, you need to understand that people go to different places for different reasons. Same is also applicable to social media. Giving value is subjective and there are varying degrees of value. This boils down to understanding your “WHY” on social media.
If you can figure out your “WHY” on social media, then your contents would be structured around these 4 pillars of content creation:
EDUCATE
– “Content that teaches, trains or equips someone with the knowledge, skills, steps, strategies or mindsets to achieve a greater degree of success with something.” – Fabio Marrama
Your Content should always leave your audience with something new. When it comes to acquiring knowledge or skills, some people are not always aware of how to go about it. You’ll be doing them a lot of goodbye filling their needs.
Are you meeting the needs of content consumers?
INFORM
– “Content that informs, updates on or provides relevant information is so valuable to your audience. Especially for those who don’t have time to stay ‘in the know’.” – Fabio Marrama
In a world where everyone is trying to put a sumptuous meal on the table and pay bills, everyone seems to be busy. Some don’t really have the time to find out ‘what’s new.’
Most of these people miss out on what’s trending, especially when it is not in line with their daily activities. The little time they have is being spent on social media. You’ll be doing them a lot of good by bringing information in front of them.
MOTIVATE / INSPIRE
“Sometimes we all need a push. Content that motivates or inspires us to take action, encourage us to think differently or challenge us against the status quo is exactly what we need to feel.” – Fabio Marrama
Everyone needs a lift at a point in time. If your content is always pushing people to take action or make certain changes in their lives, you are going to make it big time.
ENTERTAIN
“Content that draws your attention, tells a story, stirs a feeling, and makes you laugh, cry, smile, share and enjoy.
– This pillar coupled with any of the first 3 is a winning formula.” – Fabio Marrama
Diana Nguyen, popularly known as ’Dancing Diana’ is a good example of entertaining contents. She brings something different to a professional platform, LinkedIn. She simply shows why we need relaxation at work.
My conclusion, contents on social media could be texts, videos or pictures, but always ensure that your contents are in line with the following pillars shared above.
People want value for their time. People want their problems to be solved. People want their needs to be satisfied.
Once you can identify what you can offer to the people, it becomes easier to build a niche. Then you can start thinking of monetization.
- Are you also stuck on what to produce on saturated social media platforms?
- Is your company finding it difficult to break even on social media?
- Are you finding it difficult to connect with your target audience?
Remember, any brand or company that’s not taking the maximum advantage of social media platforms is still operating in the crude business environment.
