There’s so many strategies on how, why, and when to post on your social media platform. Some work, some don’t. Scrolling through Instagram, I get targeted by my fellow social media junkies turned digital marketing gurus CONSTANTLY in ads! It’s clear that social media is readily available for anyone, with various platforms to promote on, with different ways to tell your brand’s story. However, none of these are the “PERFECT” way.
Each ad you see about a 10-minute strategy or a free PDF in exchange for your e-mail is different than the last. It can be soooo confusing! When just starting out or looking to post more consistently on your social media pages, there’s something you should be concerned with: the TYPE of content and the purpose of it.
People don’t like being yelled at to act, they don’t like being spammed, and they don’t like insincere and repetitive messages. The content you provide should be an extension of the business owner you are, not some sales pitch. Not all posts should be geared to send traffic to a website or to encourage someone to act fast by purchasing your service. Everyone likes their tea different ways (hot, warm, or cold) and content is the exact same way! Here’s a little cheat-sheet to consider when planning your social media posting strategy.
COLD CONTENT – get them to KNOW you
Cold content is a lot less personable and introduces your services to a stranger with little frill. They may have found you with no knowledge of your business and are curious to learn more. It is your job with cold content to provide the answers to the questions they may be asking themselves while browsing your business. This is one of your first round of posts, promoting your services and offering your confidence in your product. These types of posts are great for consistency, but should not be used often to “sell” to people.
The goal here is to make that amazing first introduction, even if it risks not having customers act immediately.
Some examples of cold content are:
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Announcing store hours
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Offering a free consultation, free e-book, or promoting a blog post
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Reinforcing your brand’s value foundation to new customers (i.e: devoted to customer service first)
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Promoting your services minimally and no fluff (i.e: you provide building supplies quotes)
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Showcase the history of your business to those curious
WARM CONTENT – get them to LIKE you
Warm content reaches directly to your ideal customer, not just a general audience. With a more focused voice, you’re able to use industry-specific words and express your values directly to these audience viewers to provide relevant and appealing content. You are able to promote your services more directly, focusing solely on those who align with your ideal customer.
The challenge with warm content is that it isn’t quite transparent as one would like, with the end-goal still being to drive people to a website or take action. By being direct, you also risk isolating other audiences you risk to reach out to that do not align with this content’s value or message.
Some examples of warm content are:
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Highlighting one specific service you offer
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Speaking directly to a specific industry you wish to attract with relevant services (i.e: promoting animal topiaries while speaking to those in the zoo industry)
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Personal business wins (i.e: a new website launch, new blog post)
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An offer (usually free or low-cost) that gets clients to a “sales funnel”
HOT CONTENT – get them to TRUST you
We always like to see the before-and-after of a project, don’t we? It lets us see the transparency of a job well done. Be it HGTV home remodeling shows, results from a month of eating right and going to the gym, or even referrals for services from a friend who swears by the results they received. This is the time for you to be 100% unapologetically confident in your business. Don’t worry about seemingly bragging, don’t worry about coming off too cocky — that doesn’t matter. This is the type of content where people who were lukewarm on your services are more likely to act!
By providing tangible, undeniable proof of a job well done or a service solving a customer’s problem…. you are holding weight to your content. These posts are transparent and show a level of authenticity that cold and warm posts do not. Hot posts are your bread and butter in defining yourself as a stand-out expert in your field and a reputable business that is worth the investment into.
Some examples of hot content are:
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Testimonials from your customers (try snagging some testimonials from your Facebook and Google reviews!)
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Before-and-after photos if you’re offering a service (bonus points for galleries)
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Promoting people to message you directly for more information
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Case studies or blog posts centered around a client’s experience (if provided)
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Statistics that show your business in an amazing light (how many customers served, number of units sold, etc)
All of these types of content have a purpose and reason in your digital marketing plan. When I write content for clients, I try to balance all three of these types to ensure there is a cohesive tone that fits the company’s image. Preparing a content calendar for the month will allow you to spread these types of posts out without overloading your audience.
