Social media isn’t just about getting attention; it’s about being memorable. The problem is that too many marketers over-index the importance of cheap attention in lieu of creating real connections with customers. This is because they fall into the Commodity Content Trap–creating the same repackaged content as everyone else on the internet. So, how do you avoid falling into the trap and keep your content relevant to your audience? I’ll explain. But first, What is Commodity Content? This is content that’s widely shared and repeated with little to no original thought attached to it. This can be ..read more

Big brands have content pillars––and they use them. These are topics and themes around which they build all of their content. Although big brands have big budgets, teams, and seemingly unlimited ad resources, they use the same content strategies available to SMBs. So, what are these content pillars, and how can you use them? Four pillars any company can use on social media are: Competitor Differentiation Company Value(s) Champion Product Industry Challenge 1. Competitor Differentiation This is what makes your product different from competitors’ products. It could be the branding, materials u ..read more

The biggest brands and creators on social media follow this playbook with their content. And you can use it too. I call it the Bites & Bangers strategy. This approach to social media circles around two types of content: 1. Bites Bites are short/quick-to-create pieces that (i) stop the scroll and (ii) get people to comment, like, or share. They have three main characteristics: they are easy to make, easy to digest, and easy to share. Bites are under 300 words or 1 minute in video length. They are the content users want to get while they scroll social media, waiting for their bus, during co ..read more

Do you ever wonder why some brands always seem to have success with their social media and appeal to the masses? And I’m not talking about the ones with the most money or history. But the ones who are new and seemingly never run out of ideas. Well, I will let you in on a little secret: They don’t create content with mass appeal in mind. They understand the goal is not to create content for the masses—it’s to create content for individuals at scale. Although it might feel like you’re creating content for all your followers to see simultaneously (similar to a play, concert, etc.). In reality, y ..read more

During the 1980s consultants recommended luxury hotels could save money and increase profits by firing their doorman. They figured by installing automatic and revolving doors that hotel guests could let themselves into the buildings, ultimately absolving the need for a front doorman. Seems rational, right? However, this move didn’t increase hotel profits––it lost them money. This is called the doorman fallacy, where you narrow the function of a job down to one set of particular tasks and optimize for those alone. Because in reality, doormen don’t just open and close hotel doors they: Keep th ..read more

After running a social media-first agency for the last 12+ years, we’ve talked to thousands of business owners about social media and if they do/do not need to hire an agency to help them out. If that’s you, and you’re looking for an agency to help you, this article will take you through the steps to find the best social media agency for your business. What should you consider before hiring a social media agency? Below we’ll look at: Options for Hiring Factors to consider in hiring Understanding Your Brand’s Goals The Business Case for Hiring a Social Media Agency What to Look For When Evalua ..read more

Today, I want to talk about the nine-step process we used to grow a struggling SAAS platform from 561 to 60,000 REAL followers in 12 months without a dollar in ad spend. Here’s the exact process we used(that any brand can copy): 1. Stopped talking about the brand Brands love to talk about themself. That’s a problem. So, we shifted the message from “look how great we are” to making customer-centric content. This meant positioning the brand as a helpful guide, not the hero of the story. The customer is the hero. 2. Interviewed customers to see why they bought Interviewing current and past custom ..read more

There is one certainty in social media: algorithms change. What people want to see and what platforms serve them is always moving. So, if you’re a brand, how do you treat the algorithm in your strategy? On one hand, it’s a very real variable in the social media formula, and on the other, it’s completely out of your control. Is it best to double-down on what the algorithm wants? Or should you lean into what’s (i) creatively fulfilling and (ii) you can create consistently? The Algorithm-Driven Approach: A Double-Edged Sword When a brand religiously follows algorithm changes, it often results in ..read more

Creating a social media plan for your company can be stressful. But it doesn’t have to be. See, most brands run into issues with social media when they are: 1. Reactionary — constantly looking for trends and playing catch up with their social content 2. Non-aligned with company goals — this causes frustration from the social team, who feel underappreciated, and builds resentment on the executive side because they see social as a cost center. 3. Don’t have a system — winging it on social leads to sporadic posting, relying on ‘creativity’ and time availability. These problems are ..read more

Our team has edited/approved over 15,000 pieces of social media content for brands. Here are the 7 most common mistakes and how you can fix them: 1. Focusing on a self-centered angle (bragging) If the post is about how great a brand is and doesn’t provide any other value to the audience, it will come across as bragging. Example: Protein bar company Self-centered copy: “We are in Whole Foods Nationwide!” The fix: Changing the angle to how this news benefits customers. So it would read like this, “If you shop at Whole Foods, look out for us in the snack aisle. Getting daily protein just got a ..read more