What Three Words?

What Three Words stand out for you?

For me it's:

Realistic, Helpful and Informative

This has become my measure for what a good social media post should be. If you tell yourself it needs to be  realistic, helpful and informative, then you're most likely to create engaging content that attracts attention ... or so they say! Further to this, if you use these as your hashtags they may steer people in the direction of your newest Blog, Insta post, TikTok or Facebook post.

Expectation

We're told, aren't we? ...

• Engage your audience
• Inform and Interact
• Make it relevant to add value
• Post at peak times
• Research your hashtags! (Hey?) 

Reality

Yet in reality, our approach is often a case of throwing something at the wall and hoping it sticks!

Do beware of posting social media content, however, that doesn't serve you well.

It's all very well having a social media post that gets attention ... we all love to be loved. We adore the 'likes' and 'loves' and 'applause' emojis and the addiction is real!

We get such a high from seeing a post do well and feel such disappointment when it sits there looking sad and lonely!

I once posted a photo of when I won £100 ... how do you think that post did?

I thought, it's only £100 (which was the lowest prize that could be won), yet I'm pleased as punch (as I never win anything) and in my excitement I shared it. 

BIG mistake

My post attracted hundreds of begging letters from across the globe, with images of sick family members and if there was ever a time that I've learnt from my mistake, it was on this occasion.

Did I stick to my strategy?

No!

Did I inform, engage, interact, give value, promote relevant content in a resourceful way? 

No!

Did I consider my 'Brand Identity'?

No!

The Result

The result was that I had to spend time fire-fighting and closing down unwanted attention. In the end I deleted the post.

Lesson Learnt

I decided to stop treating my business like a hobby and to seek out a better approach and it was then, whilst researching, that I came across the book Content DNA by John Espirian.

Your brand identity is like the hook of a great song. Get it right and people will echo it back to you. . . .

As John says ... Being “relentlessly helpful” is at the core of my personal brand. How I stumbled on that label was pure luck. Part of my motivation for writing this ... is so that you don’t need to rely on similar good fortune.

Which takes us back to the theme of this month's main post; that of having a Healthy Balance when trying to find the right content to promote our business.

John has been the inspiration for this Blog Post today. What I've learnt from John is that by focusing on two key elements – consistency and congruence – you'll learn how to define a recognisable "shape" for your business, so that you can build a presence that's noticed, remembered and preferred.

Espirian, John. Content DNA: Using consistency and congruence to be the same shape everywhere.

John's THREE WORDS are

Relentlessly Helpful Content

What Three Words would you choose?

If you do one thing today ... Check out his book, via the link above - you won't be disappointed.