Key Takeaways from our Chat about Divergent Social Communities

Are you looking for ways to reach a broader online audience? Do you get the most out of every possible channel? Here are ten top tips shared by Kelly Stewart, Content Marketing Director at Apprentice, during our virtual event on March 23, 2023:

1. Relevance beats cleverness.
   
   It doesn’t matter how much effort you put into making a post polished and clever – if it’s not interesting, people won’t read it. Want a quick win that’s also easy to achieve? Post about something that your audience already cares about.

2. Research your audience.
   
   Do you use buyer personas? If not, you’re probably not getting the most out of your marketing. In fact, research shows that targeting a cold lead with persona-based content is significantly more effective than targeting a warm lead without persona-based content (58% vs 45%).

Once you know who your core buyers are, you can figure out how they’re likely to think and what they’ll care about. This knowledge helps you create compelling messaging strategies that are nuanced, personable, and deliver ROI. Not sure where to start? Check out HubSpot’s free persona generator for an easy way to get started.

3. Comments beat reshares.
   
   Learn how different platforms score content within their algorithm. On LinkedIn, comments are more valuable than likes or shares, and quick comments (within an hour after posting) are worth even more. Want to make it easier for your team to join the conversation? Draft some response blurbs in advance and remember that Q&A-style posts give readers a low-effort way to comment.

4. Quality beats quantity.
   
   Avoid random acts of content. Strategic and relevant content will speak directly to your readers’ needs or interests. Posting high-quality content is preferable to posting on a fixed schedule.

5. Test and track your results.
   
   Use data and analytics to assess how your posts perform, then adjust and make improvements. Got a post that generates lots of traffic? Consider strengthening your message. And if some content consistently shows high time on the page, that’s ideal for repurposing. Conversely, a high bounce rate suggests that more focus on hero messaging is needed, and if you’ve got a post that gets low traffic, either refresh or retire the content.

6. Shorter is better.
   
   Did you know that most people only read 28% of the words on a screen? Or that most readers scan digital copy quickly in an “F” pattern? We didn’t either! To make sure your message gets the most traction, put key ideas in the headline or at the start of a sentence.

7. Write like a person.
   
   If you’re struggling with getting your ideas down on paper, try this: say what you’re trying to explain out loud, in the simplest way possible. Once you’ve got a basic idea that makes sense, write it down.

   Don’t worry too much about revisions until you’ve got a complete text that expresses your core ideas, and even then, remember that simple is almost always better. But do pay attention to sentence length! Variety can go a long way in keeping readers interested and engaged.

8. Use your thumbnails.
   
   Create custom and unique social sharing thumbnails or write unique calls to action that showcase the value of what’s offered. Incorporate pull quotes from long-form content to highlight the thought leadership behind the click.

9. Get emotional.
   
   Even though you’re marketing to a business, all your copy is being read (and acted upon!) by people, so helping B2B buyers feel connected to your brand is a key step in building sales. You can foster a buyer’s ambition by speaking to their social and professional goals or generate excitement by casting the buyer as a hero, using your product as their sword.

10. Be accessible and inclusive.
    
    To reach the widest possible audience, structure your content logically: screen readers work from top to bottom and left to right, and they do better job with hashtags when you use #CamelCase. Be concise, focus on being clear rather than being clever, and always include alt text for images.

Above all, your writing should be inclusive: always use words that are gender neutral, race neutral, and age neutral. Avoid biased idioms or metaphors that equate white/light with “good” and black/dark with “bad,” and remove any metaphorical references to disability (“blind” or “crazy”).

That’s a wrap on Kelly’s top 10 tips for reaching divergent social communities in B2B marketing! Get notified about our next webinar by signing up for HeadStart’s mailing list