If you’re going to create social media content for the field, make sure it’s so good they want to share it.
by Scott Allen, Momentum Factor
Our firm recently helped introduce the concept of social media syndication to direct selling companies to help them reach far more people with their messages while keeping on-brand and compliant.
Now what the field needs is your great content to share. So, what kind of things will they post and share? The answer can be found by looking into what they are already sharing naturally. Based on our client work, here is a mini guide:
- Educational content is the core of any content strategy. It should be of general interest but related to your product or service. Health and wellness product companies can share general information about antioxidants, diet, anti-aging, etc. Financial services companies can write about personal finance tips and investing strategies. A jewelry or accessories company can talk about fashion trends.
- Inform, educate and entertain. Provide information they can’t get elsewhere. Keep them intrigued and interested. What can you tell them that’s unique to your message?
- Don’t sell. As we preach all the time, don’t over-promote. Your reps won’t share a bunch of salesy posts and updates.
- Curated third-party news and educational content are the other essential piece of a solid content strategy. Don’t feel like you have to create everything yourself. In fact, third-party sources provide validation. So, if Dr. Oz talks about superfruits, or Suze Orman has tips on managing your credit cards, or there’s a post on a popular fashion blog about fall trends, by all means share it.
- Company news and promotions – Yes, you should include this in your syndicated content, and yes, people will share it … if the promotions are a) creative and clever, b) not too frequent, and c) part of a more diverse content mix. The best content promotions present your product or service as a specific solution to a timely problem. Those that tie in to seasonal or general trends are most effective in social media.
- Positive media mentions of the company or leaders in the company are important validation for the general public, and your field’s social media is exactly where you need this to be, not buried two levels deep on the corporate information page.
- Customer success stories are an essential element of the direct selling industry – make them part of your social strategy. Your distributors can tell people about “some customer”, or they can show them that person’s actual words (or better yet, video). Use real names and real people, always.
- Distributor success stories aren’t just encouragement for your current distributors – they’re also a great recruiting tool. The “You can do it too” message is always inspiring.
- Lifestyle photos and videos – There’s just no substitute for pictures and videos of distributors living the good life: cars, travel, golf, etc. If you do a recognition trip, be sure to have a photographer and even videographer on hand.
- Recognition needs to be a key element of your social media content. Recognition is one of the most useful, exciting and shareable types of content in the industry.
- Success tips and quotes always make great social media content. Don’t get too specific — tips that are only applicable to your company may be good content to share, but not to syndicate.
- Event speaker videos are always popular to share, again, if the content is of general interest and not too specific to the company.
Some content may be great to share, but not great to syndicate. Your corporate social media channels may be intended as much for your field as for the general public, but your field is using social media primarily to reach customers and prospective recruits. Make your content timely, relevant, entertaining, and useful, and your field will share it.
To discuss this topic further or to learn how the Momentum Factor team can be of assistance, reach out by clicking here.
