In Episode 28 of the Power Your Platform Podcast, I’m going to dig deeper into the idea of story traction which we first began exploring in Episode 8.
In this episode, I expand on the ideas from that episode by specifically offering you 3 tips for getting better story traction on social media.
Being on social media these days can be a real roller coaster ride. Just when we feel we’re on an upward climb, platforms like Instagram, Facebook or even TikTok seem to change things up. And before we know it, we’re plummeting downhill once again. It’s almost enough to make you want to give up entirely. And many people do.
But in my experience, there are a few simple tricks to getting traction when it comes to your social media stories.
So I’d love to offer you three of those tips today.
There are actually 5 tips altogether, so if you want the final two, you need to head over to our Power Your Platform Facebook group after the show and you’ll find all 5 tips shared there.
For now, let’s dig into the first 3.
Tip #1 - Get to the Point Quicker.
I don’t know about you, but most social media captions these days lose me after the first two sentences. And the reason is simple. I want to know: is this post for me and if so, what’s it about? But unfortunately, most social media stories I come across never quite get to the point. Or the point is made so far down in the post that I never actually get there. I give up way before I find out what it’s all about because I just don’t have the time.
And I know I’m not alone. People want to know if the news story is relevant to them and what the big news is up front. In other words, what’s it in it for me? So we need to hook people right off the top with a great headline or opening question or key phrase. And once we have their attention, we need to pull them into the rest of the post by showing how it’s relevant and meaningful to their life.
Tip #2 - Tell Them Their Next Step.
Have you ever read a story that left you wanting to take action, but you didn’t know exactly what to do next? In other words, there was no clear call to action. Calls to action are absolutely necessary if you’re going to create engagement and action with your social media activities. Too many companies tell great stories and use fabulous images or even video – but when it comes to providing a call to action, the experience falls flat.
Remember, clarity is Queen when it comes to communicating with your ideal customers and getting them to take action on your posts.
Tip #3 – Offer More Free Value.
So why is offering free value so important when it comes to our social media stories? Well, people have over a billion Instagram accounts that they could choose to follow. So let me ask you this: why should they follow yours? What value do you offer your followers that they can’t find anywhere else? What are the small wins you’re able to get for your audience before they spend a dime with you? Have your customers ever felt like you served them before you sold to them?
By offering people free value, you’re giving them a sampling of what it’s like to work with you. Look for ways to surprise and delight your audience!