Lvl 15: So Easy Social Media 1 - Top ProcrastiN8ive Practices That Make a Good Post

This episode is the first of our series where we'll be talking about how to promote your brand or website on social media, the easy, lazy way.

This week we're covering some general practices that apply to all the social media platforms across the board. We'll be covering each individual platform in the following weeks. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

8. Don’t buy followers (unless you’re paying for advertising) These are often bot/fake accounts, not real people, not real customers This does nothing other than give you a bit of social proof. Quality engagement is more important than likes/follows ...because quality engagement leads to SALES Also, a person is more likely to engage with a brand that their friend recommends than one that just has a lot of numbers. Make a real impression. Make yourself worth sharing and talking about. Don’t just play a numbers game. There are ways to get lots of REAL followers for free

7. Don’t spam Think about what bothers you about spammy users and avoid it Don’t post TOO much, even if its consistent. No one wants their entire feed filled with you. Don’t ask for likes or follows (without providing value) Don’t PM/message people with links or requests, unless you already engaged in conversation. Don’t auto chat either (auto respond/send a DM once someone follows you.) I don’t know anyone this has actually worked for (unless using a real Chat Bot, where it’s clear that it is automated and the person must consent to receiving auto messages) Don’t tag random people Limit hash tags (this varies per platform)

6. Speak to the audience of the platform, use the right tone you wouldn't bring a metal band to an opera theater. Doesn't matter how talented the musicians are or how well written the songs are. It's just not gonna connect to the audience and even if some of the audience members there in attendance are secretly metal heads; they're not there to see you shred the guitar; they want to watch an epic vocal performance in an opera. Gotta play the right gig at the right venue. Facebook = the quick update or opinion Twitter = the conversation LinkedIn = the professional highlight Instagram = the story, the photo, the art Pinterest = the How To, the DIY, the craft YouTube = the instructions, count down, review

5. Be Part of the Community Connect with people in your niche, join in the conversation Adding to the conversation doesn’t mean advertising your own shit Meaningful DMs, Retweets, comments Don’t just write your own status, story, post, video, or podcast Promote others you genuinely like/appreciate. Cross promote, collaborate, interview/debate/discuss with each other then go live or post & share Don’t just give a shout out to someone because they ask you to though. See if they offer value to your audience.

4. Stay consistent It’s not so much how often you post but WHEN you post and WHAT you post. The “peak” engagement time varies on each platform and for each niche (eg. posting about Technology vs. Fashion or posting on Instagram vs. Twitter) More important than peak times though is to pick a post time and stick with it, either something that fits in your schedule or a time you decide to consistently automate. Your audience will “follow” you, literally. They’ll adapt to your schedule if you remain consistent. Give them consistent type of (niche) content that they can expect from you. Rotate between 4-5 broad topics related to your niche If you want to build an audience, you have to have consistency.

3. Add variety While you want your schedule to be consistent and your audience You don’t want all your posts to look exactly the same or sound the same. Use your voice but don’t be a pull string doll Play around with colors, fonts, pictures, sizes, Use different emotion: happy, sad, anger Humorous and sentimental Even Howard Stern has sentimental moments, most notably during 9/11 Joe Rogan likewise Ryan Renolds when Stan Lee passed away DON’T be TOO random. Stick to your topic/niche. Don’t all the sudden bring up basketry Unless... it relates back to your main idea, mission, or message. ...or it can be tied in as a metaphor for the topic in with your niche, even if seemingly unrelated

2. Follow the 80/20 Rule (Value, Value, Sale or Give, Give, Take) Post Entertainment/Information three times for every ONE promotional or sales pitch Never sound too salesy (see number 1) People will want to reciprocate the value they receive I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine You’re a content creator, not a sales person. Create content first, establish rapport second, sell last

1. Conversational professional speak is so yester-year (unless that’s how your intended audience speaks, but not for MOST niches) use slang, use memes forget everything you learned about grammar and English writing in school good literature writing does NOT mean good copywriting practice good storytelling play on the emotions