Lead with Connection

We can connect with our audiences on a more personal level now more than ever through social media. As your company reaches more people in real-time, your credibility and brand recognition are sure to increase, thus resulting in more site visits, more sales, and more conversions. From posts to memes to vignettes to calendaring, Rule29 can help build your social media presence in a way that offers consistent and high-level content created to achieve your goals (we can help you figure those out too). But for those brave soldiers managing their social media accounts, we do have a few 3-pointers. (That’s what we call pointers that allow you to win big. Catchy, right?) This blog will dive into step-by-step into how to build your online presence from the start.

The heavy (easy) lifting

A clean, organized, and credible page truly is easier than you think! Ensure you are using a social friendly avatar that is legible, not blurry, and on-brand like your logo or mark. We can help you decide what this should look like is based on your logo and create something custom for your brand if you have not done so already! Additionally, video headers can capture attention and increase the time spent on your page. High-resolution images are great as well. Finally, top it all off with your “About” information, and please make sure it is correct. 

Bam! You are on your way to becoming a social media influencer. We hope you like FitTea*.

*FitTea is a common advertisement among social media influencers of today.

A calendar makes a pal…endar

Did that heading make you cringe? Sorry, we couldn’t resist. Anyway, a social calendar can take all the stress out of your social media channels. Okay, maybe not all of it, but we do strive to let you get ahead so you can plan for whatever you have time for. Plan a week, a month, or three months ahead! Go crazy. This will help you and your team understand what is needed creatively and what needs to launch and when. 

There are a lot of tools available for scheduling. There’s Loomly, SproutSocial, Hootsuite, whos-its-and-whats-its galore (this last one is from the Little Mermaid) just to name a few. We recommend taking a look at a few and determine what’s best for you.

Questions to ask yourself when vetting a new scheduling program:

1. What’s my budget per month or per year for something like this?
2. How many users will I need? 
3. DOES IT ALLOW ME TO POST DIRECTLY TO INSTAGRAM? (This is so important so we have to shout it. Instagram is a tricky minx so make sure that this is thought-through.) 
4. What do the recommendations/analytics reports look like? 
5. Does the platform make recommendations based on time/content/imagery? 

Not sure what platform is right for you after all this? We can help. 

Being content with your content

A lot of companies are creating content to put something out there even if it doesn’t offer true value to their audience base. When it comes to your posts, we recommend quality over quantity. If your post is not something you really proud of aesthetically or doesn’t align with your business objectives, don’t post it. Ask yourself before you post—why should anyone care? If you don’t have an answer. Don’t post it. Even if that means one less post that week.

Break the fourth wall

To break the cycle of low engagement, work hard to create content that demands a response. Something that makes your audience think or learn something about your company that they didn’t know before whether that is informational or cultural is essential to engagement. Social media is unique in that companies can be humanized and people love it. Content should feel approachable and not like another sales pitch to fill the void. 

We like to move it, move it

Animated GIFs add dimension to your social media. Energetic movements will pique your audience’s interest and allow your messages to rise above industry competitors. Create GIFs for the information you really want to resonate or for a large initiative launch. Add them to your story or post them on your page… or do both if you want, you social butterfly!. 

P.S. We pronounce it “GIF” and, if you are a “JIF” person, I want you to know that we are now in a personal silent war for the rest of eternity. I don’t care if the creator pronounces it, “JIF.”. I will not speak to reason.

Rinse & Repeat!

Analyze, adjust, and repeat. Use insights to discover what posts aren’t landing, why, and how to shift to maximize your time spent. Is there a certain time that posts aren’t performing well? Do you need more imagery or more video? Learn from your past and tailor your strategy to what you know works with the additions of some new trends to keep it fre$h.

Get out there!

We know, we know. This is a lot. But we believe in you. And if you need more help, we are always here! Just fill out this form and we would love to learn more about where you’re stumped and how we can help. 

Also, we do know of this smart guy who recently launched a LinkedIn Learning course around this whole idea. Check it out here: linkedinlearning.com/schedulingforcreatives