How To Make An Impact & Add Value With Your Social Media Presence

Finding and Thriving in Your Role at the Social Media “Party”

We often have clients express their overwhelm or frustration about how to foster a robust, engaged audience on social media platforms. And we get it—finding your unique voice and contribution, breaking through the noise of a cluttered online world, then maintaining a consistent, relevant presence once you do all that can feel like…a lot.

Our creative team recently had an internal discussion about what makes up a killer social media feed that cuts through the lonely outer rim of the internet world, and we kept returning to that word—SOCIAL.

Let’s indulge in a little thought experiment together, shall we?

Imagine your social media engagement is like going to a social gathering. A weird, overcrowded, noisy party with seemingly no semblance of a logical guest list. You reach the entrance, acknowledging your mixed feelings about attending, take a breath, and cross the threshold. You’re in. There’s no getting out now—just kidding, this isn’t a horror story, we promise. As you get your bearings and asses the vibes, you notice the typical group personalities emerging. Now, here’s the question: What role will you take on at this digital party? (Note: The party persona you think your business should take on might not be the most strategic choice!)

Who Do We Have Here?

At any party, there are typically a few main characters. There are storytellers who seem to have a riveting tale ready to share at a moment’s notice; the entertainers and comics that find a way–no matter how offbeat–to get a laugh. There are subject authorities and educators, able to share in-depth knowledge and expertise; quirky characters that find colorful, niche ways to interact with others. The caretakers, the gossips. And of course, there seems to always be a couple of “big personalities” who don’t read the room well enough to stop talking when their audience is visibly uncomfortable–or bored.

If you want to build a strong, loyal, and engaged social media audience for your business, having a “big personality” isn’t necessarily the issue. After all, the strange rules of this digitized party require you to acquire followers. But the problem these characters will run into is that people eventually bow out of a conversation that’s one-sided. It’s an expeditious way to become the most uninteresting person in the room. At a physical party, you might get some polite-to-a-fault folks who will stick it out longer than most, but even they’ll find a way to excuse themselves after a while. And at the social media version of this party, people don’t even need to announce their departures; you’ll just see that follower count stall, or worse, start to dwindle, and your hopes of making an impact (e.g., gaining a customer) wane.

Don’t Be Afraid to Have Fun

So back to our question: What role at this social media party is your business best suited to fill? If you have a highly technical business, you may fit well into the educator role. For businesses that are service-based or don’t have ongoing information to impart to their clients, sometimes taking on an entertainer role can breathe life into your brand personality and attract a cult-like following. One of our clients with waste-disposal services took this approach, leaning into the humorous side of their industry, posting pictures of odd and random items they came across on the job. They chose to have fun with it, and their audience got a laugh when they saw the posts.

It’s vital to find your brand’s unique voice, and if you’ve been wrestling with that and want to take a deeper dive, check out our finding your voice blog post. If you can dial in on a unique tone that really fits your brand, you’ll be more likely to break through the noise of a cluttered online world. Some brands will be able to lean into a more casual tone of voice on their social media platforms. But whether your company shares mostly lighthearted or informational content, occasionally mixing it up will keep things fresh. If you regularly post light, cultural content, periodically post about something your company is passionate about, i.e., community or environmental issues. Conversely, if your posts are usually more serious or informative, give your audience an occasional peek behind-the-curtain (people like to see people!!). Remember to contribute value to your audience’s time, because if you miss that, you’re just adding to the noise–and they’ll likely stop listening. Don’t just post sales-y content like that one-sided conversationalist (“Enough about me. What do you think about me?”). Be interesting by being interested in others, engaging in the comments, sharing others’ content that you find interesting or meaningful. That way readers can differentiate your social media presence from your ads, which helps build that brand fan base!

Finally, if you want to have fun at this weird party, which we highly recommend, try not to overthink it. And if you need more help finding your role and voice so you can make a great impression, give us a call—we’d be honored to be your wingman!