Nowadays being on social media is not enough. With over 2 billion online users it’s difficult to stand out. How can you do that? How can you get noticed on social media? Let’s look at a few key factors.

1. Know your audience.

It’s probably one of the most important aspects of social media strategy. It’s very important to understand who is your client and how you can grab their attention. It’s not about bombarding them with adverts and posts about your company. They won’t care about that. That’s why you should share things they find funny and interesting. You need to show them you can identify with them and understand their needs.

2. Connect with your audience by posting great content.

Think for a second how many social media accounts are out there. About 90% of all companies in the US use social media in their marketing strategy. Users are overwhelmed by the amount of content they see every day online. That’s why your company’s posts need to be visually beautiful and engaging. They need to attract attention straight away otherwise your customers won’t notice them at all. Content that evokes emotions is more likely to be shared, however, it’s usually the positive type that goes more viral. People like to see content they find humorous and touching. Imagine if your post would be the one to put a smile on their faces and make their day a bit better…

3. Video marketing.

Videos and short clips are the best tools for attracting attention online. A Facebook video receives, on average, 135% more organic reach than a Facebook photo. It’s probably the most engaging type of content on social media. However, there are a few things you should consider before uploading a video online:

• Keep it short. According to research, shorter videos seem to perform better. In fact, nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer video under 60 seconds.
• Focus on first 3 seconds of the video. Most people tend to watch only the first few seconds before they start scrolling down again. You have to grab their attention before they do that.
• Videos on Facebook start playing automatically, meaning most people watch videos without the sound. You may want to consider adding subtitles to ensure your video is still effective.

4. Timing is everything.

If you want your content to get noticed you need to make sure you publish it at the right time. Post at different times and see which posts tend to perform better. Check out the analytics and monitor the results. It’s all about testing and improving as you go along.

5. Your headline.

Every post should have a great headline that attracts attention. It should be short (6-9 words) and snappy. Jeff Goins suggests using the following structure: Number or Trigger word + Adjective + Keyword + Promise. Also, make sure you pick the right words. According to research, your posts are more likely to go viral if you use the following:

• Free
• Experts
• Grow
• Amazing
• Facts
• Learn
• Simple
• Secrets
• Measure
• Best
• Ideas
• Increase
• Wrong
• Lessons
• Optimize

Getting noticed on social media isn’t as easy as it seems. There is a lot of competition out there and that’s why it’s very important to be creative and entertaining. If you are not sure what to post, you can ask your family and friends for feedback however always bear in mind your target audience and what they like. Once you get to know them, you will be able to understand how they think and what they feel. What makes them tick, what they can identify with and how to impress them. Eventually, your page might be the one they visit for inspiration, information and a bit of humour. Maybe one day you are the one they talk about.