There’s a lot that goes into making a social media channel that absolutely rocks. Because we often spend so much time on social media, it can be easy to forget the things we need to do to really make our channel shine. Every now and again, it’s important to reflect on our social and look at it with a fresh set of eyes.

I’ve collated a series of handy resources to help you make your social media even stronger, looking at each of the key elements of a strong social media channel. Let’s get cracking…

The Look And Feel

Having a strong design is essential. It’s the first thing people see when they visit your social media channel, and first impressions count. Make sure your look and feel reflects your brand values and your cover image not only tells your business story, but don’t forget it’s a tool can can be used to promote products, services or events.

For a kickass guide in how to jazz up your Instagram posts, check out this guide from Canva (affiliate link). I’ve also written about the tools to help you choose your brand font and colours here.

For those wanting to get some inspiration for cover images – including how to use it strategically for marketing, check out my rundown here.

Captivating Content

The look and feel is one thing – but then you need to consider your content. Creating posts which just push to your sales pages is not only repetitive for your audience but only reflects a small part of your business. Where is your business story? Your brand values? How are you connecting with your customers emotionally? It’s these other posts which are essential – it’s the intangible stuff that tells a brand story.

Sharp copy is a really useful skill to have in social media – and here are some how-to guides to get your copy to tell the story you’re really after. Use a storytelling formula to take your readers on a journey, or use these tips to come up with copy that converts.

Related: The 5 Must-Have Documents Your Business Needs Before Starting on Social Media

Creating Connections

But your social media content isn’t just about you – it’s about your community. Your community of supporters, fans or customers.

Creating content which resonates with them and reflects your brand values is no simple feat. Get to know your audience (your own page data is a great place to start with this) and create content which reflects their values and engages them. If you’re looking for more ideas to engage your audience, this list is a good primer of engagement ideas.

Dollar Dazzlers

Running ads is often the first step when businesses want to grow their reach – but it’s a big learning curve. Businesses often get burnt when they start out because they throw all their resources in without really knowing what they’re doing. Facebook actually provide training and webinars on how to run Facebook ads. Biggest secret ever. Get in on it here, or, if you are ready to tackle advanced Facebook ads, check out Jon Loomer’s blog.

Still a little shy? Here are the questions people running ads for the first time often ask, or, if you’re worried about the budget, here is how you work out how much you may need to fork out.

Related: Online Course by Rachel Beaney “How To Create Instagram Ads Like A Boss”

Competitions

Once you’ve got a strong following, you may want to run a competition. This could be to engage your active audience, or as a tool to grow your following. Competitions can be a great way to find out more about your community and have a lot of fun with your brand.

It’s important that you plan your competition right from the outset. There are a couple of mistakes people often make when running a competition for the first time, but planning your competition from the outset is essential. Here’s a guide for how to run a competition for Instagram, but the essentials work across most social platforms.

I hope these guides have been useful to help you see your social from a new perspective or to inspire you with some new ideas – whether it’s ideas for design, copy, community, advertising or competitions.

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Want to work with Rachel?

Rachel Beaney is a writer and social media content specialist, helping businesses connect with their audiences.

She’s worked with local, national and global companies, in addition to not-for-profits and government bodies. She loves helping businesses tell their stories with creative and data-driven solutions.

She is based in Sydney, Australia.

Want to work together? Rachel would love to hear from you. Get in touch today.