When it comes to engaging in social media, it often seems one can become overwhelmed with all the advice that can be found out there today. I would argue that while there is a lot to consider, essentially you only really need to focus on one thing… providing quality content to those you engage.
That one sentence says alot, so what exactly is quality content you may be asking. Keeping the following points in mind can help you to create quality content and offer content that is truly valuable to your audience:
Original Information
Everyday thousands of people are writing about lots of issues and topics. Are you providing information that is original or will others find the same information in other places?
A Unique Perspective
You don’t necessarily have to discuss something original all the time. When you discuss topics that are being discussed elsewhere are you providing your own thoughts and point-of-view to the conversation?
Timeless Content
Sometimes you may want to discuss current hot topics. However, also remember that in social media and the online world all most all content is indexed and archived by Google and other search engines. It is very possible that through search others will discover your content weeks, months or even years after it is published. Are you focusing on creating content that will still be valuable in the future?
Simple Content
You may have read Simple Content and said ‘Huh?’ By simple, I mean short and easy to scan. Online, people don’t read like they read on paper. Websites have taught us to scan. When creating content, format it in a way that is very simple for people to scan to find information. Assume your audience is not going to read every word you write so use bold, italics, lists and bullet points to highlight the most valuable content. Are you considering what is most important in your content and making that standout for your audience?
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