Having just read a fiction book on social media influencers, we were interested to read this article on Authenticity on Instagram on the social media scheduling platform, Later.  In short, her takeaway tips are:

• Engaging with your audience
• Share your story
• Value the written word
• Understand what content resonates with you
• Stick to your ethics and set boundaries

Let’s explore these in more detail.

Engaging with your audience

In the Later article, Sarah Nicole Landry says you need to get to know your followers – the more you connect, the better you understand your community.  She would spend half her work day (so 4 hours!) responding to DMs, commenting other people’s posts and actively engaging on other pages.

Red Desk Virtual says – not many small businesses are able to spend half their working day on social media but setting aside time to check if there are messages, replying to them in a timely manner and liking and commenting on posts will pay off.  It’s always great to get positive comments on Facebook so it is always a pleasure to reply.

Share your story

Showing authenticity on Instagram means, yes, do talk about your business but also as Sarah Nicole Landry suggests, you need to share the more personal side of your life too, to give your account another dimension other than just work.  Creating shareable content is the best way of growing your community.

Red Desk Virtual says – shareable content can take many forms, we often share social media or marketing guides we put together for our clients, or topics we have researched or discovered. These things are handy for small businesses looking for advice or tips but don’t have the budget to hire a social media marketing person.

Value the written word

According to research by Fohr, average caption lengths have doubled since 2016. They were around 142 characters and in 2020 have reached 405 characters (about 65 – 70 words).

Red Desk Virtual says – we certainly understand and appreciate that the visuals of your social media are very important but the written word is equally as important so do take time to choose your words and use keywords and hashtags to your advantage.

Understand what content resonates with you

Being authentic on social media means understanding what type of content resonates with you.  Sarah suggests when scrolling through social media, see what type of content catches your eye, this might help you develop your own style.

Red Desk Virtual says – The best social media clients of ours, are the ones that have allowed us to post in our own business language (which matches their tone).  We have found those that have been restrictive have had a massive impact on the way we’ve written the posts and in turn has affected engagement.

Stick to your ethics and set boundaries

The lines between work and private life can become blurred, so it is good to set boundaries.  These boundaries can be how long you spend on social media (and when) and the ability to plan your content ahead of time.

Red Desk Virtual says – When we start working with a new client, we have to believe in their product, that it is ethical.  We think about the type of content we put out there and what would be appropriate replies or not.  We find that as a team of two working on social media, we use the other as a sounding board, to make sure that we are on brand and within boundaries.

Interested in finding out more? Email mel@reddesk.co.uk.