4 Components Of A Viral Social Media Post
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4 Components Of A Viral Social Media Post

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Social Media Management

Social media management is the science of creating and curating content for a particular audience through a social network. The main purpose of a social media post is to increase engagement, create brand awareness and get the reader to perform an intended course of action. But what a lot of people don’t understand is that a well crafted social media posted isn’t just written in 2 seconds. A well crafted social media post takes planning, testing and execution. So if you are looking to improve your social media profiles engagement make sure you take the time to learn the concepts of social media management or hire someone that does.

The Power Of An Engaging Post

A highly optimized social media post can go a long way in improving brand recognition and contributing to product sales. Thus, I would like to share with you the secrets of creating more engaging social media posts, so you can apply them to your own marketing strategy.  So if you want to create the perfect social media post for your audience make sure you include and optimize the four main components of viral social media posts.

1. Written Content

In every great social media post there is a component of written content which is utilized to engage the audience and provide information. This written content can be constructed in a variety of different ways such as short stories or even asking a question but remember the tactic should be determined by the purpose. In addition, it is important to remember that written content is crucial because it keeps the reader engaged and creates a conversation. So always remember, don’t ever post a picture without a comment or description if you want people to engage with the post. This is due to the fact that written content is the meat of a social media post and it influences people to actually share, like and comment on the post.

2. Media

It is important to remember that every great social media post has some type of media component. This media component often comes in the form of videos, pictures or a link to a website. This component is important because it helps drive engagement even towards the part of your audience that is pressed for time or simply doesn’t want to take the time to read your post. A social media posts visual component is beneficial as it is interactive and can be easily created to incorporate a call to action. Some of the most popular media components are native videos, Youtube/Vimeo videos, GIFs, high resolution photographs, article links and infographics.

3. #Hashtag

If you are trying to create a social media post that reaches beyond your followers and friends then you need to start using hashtags. Hashtags will help categorize your post into specific categories which increases your reach across the social network. It is important to make sure you use popular and relevant hashtags as this will give you greater visibility to individuals potentially interested in the topic your posted about.

3. Call To Action

All marketing specialists understand that the whole point of marketing is to get the consumer to take a course of action. This is a beneficial tactic in social media marketing because it gives the reader an opportunity to learn more or check out more content that you have created. In addition, if you use a call to action in a social media post make sure it is clear to understand and easy to act on. For example, a call to action could be used to get the consumer to visit a website, buy a product or even subscribe to an email list. But whatever it may be just make sure you are not pushy and that the call to action isn’t the focal point of your post. This is because if you don’t provide value through your content, a call to action isn’t going to increase engagement.

Creating Engagement

By creating a social media post that is comprised of written content, a media component, relevant hashtags and a call to action, you are essentially increasing the posts potential for success. But remember that social media marketing takes preparation especially if you want to see results. Simply sharing an article will not suffice if you are looking to increase your following or increase engagement. This is due to the fact that you need to prepare and utilize the tried and true fundamentals of social media marketing if you want to see results. These four components are relevant across the major social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and Linkedin. So remember to utilize the four key components of creating a viral social media post to increase engagement with your followers.

If you found this article helpful then read my digital marketing blog posts called, “4 Simple Social Media Tips For Power Users” or  “Marketing For Couch Potatoes“.

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Bradley Thompson

Bradley Thompson

Founder of Living The Canadian Dream
Bradley Thompson is a very Canadian lifestyle blogger, digital marketer and growth hacker from Toronto who is passionate about inspiring people through his blog and vlog. Although he lives a busy life he is dedicated to personal growth, developing his expertise and growing his blog, "Living the Canadian dream"!