What makes your social media account better than your competition? How can you spice up your page to create more engagement? The answer is quite simple, be more personal. In this recent article published in @SMExaminer, @matt_secrist shares 4 ways to personalize your social media updates. Let’s dive right into it!

Use YOUR Voice

Many of us manage company accounts and have this notion to keep it in a professional voice. Luckily for us, that is no longer the case! Businesses are including  a more personal voice behind their posts by adapting a more conversational approach. Nobody wants to read a posting that has no energy or feeling behind it. That will result in your audience phasing your company out or simply unfollowing your accounts. A great way to integrate your voice is to generate conversations within your post to keep people tweeting or commenting on your post to keep them relevant.

Keep up to date with the latest trends and special days to get your company involved in them. For example #nationalpieday or #nationaldonutday. There are endless amounts of national days to celebrate and spice up your social media feeds. Your audience can feel the emotion behind your posts so don’t be afraid to be humorous by throwing in some emojis or even gifs.

Don’t Be Selfish

What do I mean by don’t be selfish? Isn’t it MY social media account? Well it is your own account but highlighting your followers is a great way to increase engagement. Giving a simple shout out or retweeting the work of a fellow follower can create special feeling for them and shows that your company actually pays attention to others. Highlight those who are using your products and posting pictures with their experiences. Those people are giving your company free advertising and acknowledging them can create a bond that may just turn them into brand loyalists.

It is important to remember when giving a shout out or posting a photo that was not taken by yourself, to give full credit to the original publishers and photographers to stay within regulations and avoid any potential fines.

Be Human

A big problem with marketing now is automation, especially with social media. Companies have created automated responses to their followers, taking away the social aspect of social media. Listen to what your followers have to say and more importantly respond. Engagement will be the deciding factor to take your account to the next level. Followers may reach out to you by asking questions and even complaints at times. Don’t be afraid to respond to criticism and turn it into a positive way for your marketplace to learn from it. Take the time to address your customers and resolve any issues whether positive or negative.

Show A Sense Of Humor

Let’s think about this for a second, what are some of your favorite pages or people you follow? Why do you follow them? Most likely they provide you with useful information or spark some sort of emotion in you. With your marketplace, try to be funny and enjoyable with your posts. The great thing about the startup culture is that the professionalism is still to an extent but we know how to have fun as well. Show your company has some character and don’t be afraid to let loose once in awhile.

Content does not need to be solely focused on your product or services. Post funny memes you come across or share videos that made you laugh. Be free with it but be sure you are not offensive in any way towards others. Maybe start some hashtag trends such as #minglemondays or #wackywednesday. Experiment with what works for your marketplace and take notes. What works one day may not work the next. Get creative with it!

As ideas come across your mind be sure to jot them down. Your mind is constantly thinking of new ideas and sometimes we simply forget. The overall take from this article is quite simple: be personal. Get to know your followers and customers as if they  were your close friends. If you see something that was entertaining to you, share it with them. Have a bond that separates you from the competition and can help earn their trust in your marketplace.

Read the source here