The key to success in social media is promoting your brand in a low-key non-salesy way. Ideally, you want people to share your posts and help spread the word.
People love fun images, and they also love quotes. Combine the two, and you’ve got a very shareable post– perfect for Twitter, Facebook, your company blog.
Here’s a great quote about storytelling. Annette Simmons believes that story always improves communication.
The above is a good example of how images can be recycled, which makes them a good investment. I’d previously used this “balloon image” for a post called 10 Storytelling Essentials. By including the URL for my website, I insure that my brand gets promoted whenever someone shares the illustrated quote.
Here’s one by blues legend B.B. King who died earlier this year. The quote is inspiring because it highlights his work ethic, and says very clearly: if you want to be good, you’ve got to put in the time. It’s nice to have your brand associated with dedication and hard work.
Quotes by others aren’t your only option. Share your own wisdom and professional opinions. Here’s one of mine. Namely, that it’s a waste of time and energy to try to be
on every social media channel. You have to find the ones that work best for you.
Newsman David Brinkley was a familiar TV face when I was a kid. I love this quote because it’s both funny and true. Criticism and failure are hard to take, but if you want
to move forward, you have to view them as learning opportunities.
Here’s another example of creative recycling. The image is an old editorial illustration. I’ve forgotten the related news item, but the image seemed like a fun fit for this Ben Franklin quote about the value of persistence.
I did a birthday tribute back in March for detective fiction writer Mickey Spillane. He left behind some colorful quotes, including this one. He died in 2006, but he was ahead of his time. He would have excelled at social media marketing.
The image below started out as a poster with the caption: Don’t settle for a still life.
Make the break. But I quickly saw its potential for quotes about courage, faith, daring,
and taking the initiative.
Always resist the temptation to recycle an image too frequently. It will lose power. Use it, then put it back on the shelf for awhile. When the time is right, trot it out again, and pair it with a new quote.
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Do you promote your brand on social media? Care to share your strategy?
Do you share or retweet posts? If so, what usually prompts you to do so?