Beyond Instagram stories (that aren’t actual stories!), influencers and Facebook ads, social media is a great solution to share stories.
First, it’s a great way to generate “organic” engagement (vs paid). In a day and age where we need to pay more and more for visibility, creating content that people enjoy and with which they interact spontaneously remains the best way to go. After all, social media is all about socialization, which sponsored content is not in many ways.
We have many stories to tell. The one of the new staff member who just joined our team, of yesterday’s anecdote involving a client or of the latest project we’ve been working on. The short format of social media posts is perfect for these types of stories.
Obviously, beyond everyday life, there is our big picture story. The one laying out our history, our path, as an individual or an organization.
When we first launch on social media, everything needs to be said and done, even when we’re an established business. We need to assume that people don’t know us.
Often, even our regular clients – the ones who have been buying from us for years – don’t know us very well. They know our products and our services but they don’t necessarily know us as individuals, as the owner or the staff member. As a human being.
Social media is an opportunity. An opportunity to get closer to our existing clientele, by sharing more about who we are and by focusing on the human side of things and on the relationships rather than the products and services.
Why not start from the beginning? Inspiration for storytelling styles of posts can come from many places. Why did you start this business? What are you passionate about? What is close to your heart? What values guide your work? Who do you work with?
Remember that beyond yourself, your business and your team, there are partners and clients who can inspire your posts.
The best thing about social media is that you can reach new clients in addition to your existing ones! That’s why it’s so important to introduce yourself. And to do it again. You want people to remember who you are.
How-To Guide
Step 1 : Come up with your storyline.
Brainstorm your main characters, the plot, the trigger and the high point.
Step 2 : The staging
Think about what could make your story even more captivating. The idea is not to exaggerate or to make things up but to contextualize your story. Where did it take place? What was the weather like? In what sort of environment? How did people react? These details will help the reader visualize your story.
Step 3: Create the content
Provide details but be clear and concise. One paragraph is usually enough. This is social media after all! Choose a great image that is not only directly related to your story but that is also consistant with your brand.
That’s it, you can now hit “publish” and wait for people to react! Don’t forget to respond to comments!
