Maybe you feel that there are millions of topics to write about. Or, maybe like so many, you have no idea what to write about and your mind is blank when you start to write. Either way, you need to consider your audience first.

Who are you writing for?

If you’re just starting out, consider who your ideal reader is. If you already have readers, then you may have a better idea of who you’re writing for. Consider anything about that person that may help you. For instance, what are their pain points? What problem does your product or service solve? Write about that. You might like this article: Target audience and social media.

Who is on the platform where you’re sharing your writing?

Each platform is different and has different types of users. For instance, according to SproutSocial’s excellent article Social Media Demographics to Inform Your Strategy, “You want to make sure that people within your ideal target audience are actually participating actively there.” Look at the income, education level, and age of people on the platform you’ll be on. Does it make sense to share your content there? If not, where would be a better place?

Photo by sk8geek

What Frequently Asked Questions does your audience have?

Do people always ask you the same questions? Write about those. Even if you think you’ve been repeating yourself over and over, chances are, your audience doesn’t think so. You may want to write about the same thing in slightly different ways, too. For instance, if you’re blogging for a zoo and people always ask what kinds of animals you have there, change it up. Talk about the giraffes first, then the penguins. Or vice-versa. Search Engine Journal has some helpful examples of Frequently Asked Question pages.

Write about Where You’re Going

Are you a startup about to pivot? Would you like to move into a different area in your business? Why not write about that? After all, most people are more interested in your future than in your past. You’re probably more interested in your own future, too. So go ahead and write about your dreams and aspirations (not that it hurts to look at your own history). Right now, you might write about what you’re going to do once Covid19 and the shelter in place is over. How will that affect your business?

Do You Have Opinions?

Of course you do! If there’s something someone in your service or industry is doing that you do or don’t like, why not write about that? Also, if you pretend you’re talking to a friend as you write, that will help speed up your writing.

Still Stuck?

If the idea of coming up with content topics still has you shaking your head, this article might help: What to Write About When You Have Nothing to Write About. You could revisit an old article, do a best of post with a collection that you really like, or respond to a video or another blog post that you liked.

Sometimes the best ideas for blog posts come from clients. Like this one. And sometimes when one person has a question, it’s one that many people might ask. This definitely goes under Frequently Asked Questions! So here are a few things you can do if you’re in a time crunch, or if 30 minutes is all the time you have for social media. So for this one, I’m going to turn on my timer and make sure I can make it through.

Check Notifications

On Twitter, there’s a little blue bell. Click it and you’ll see your notifications. On Facebook, there’s either a little blue bell (on mobile) or a little red square at the top of your feed. On LinkedIn, like the others, has a little bell for Notifications. And here’s a quick summary, straight from the horse’s mouth (LinkedIn) about managing your LinkedIn Notification Updates.

Thank People

If someone has retweeted you, thank them. Same with anything of yours that someone has shared. You can return the favor if you want, but the most important thing is to thank them. There are several ways you can thank people. You might like: Beyond the Magic Words: 8 Ways to Say Thank You!

Engage

Say hello to people, comment on others’ posts, and share. Those are three really simple ways to engage. As you might know, I’m a big believer in engagement. In fact, you might like this post about engagement: For Better Social Media Results, Focus on Engagement.

That’s it!

What would you add? What would you subtract? Thanks for letting me know!

We’ve all heard that old saw about expecting the same results from the same effort. And if you do the same thing day after day and week after week, you’ll probably get the same results, right? Does the same apply to social media?

Dialing it in

Whether you’re on social media or in a classroom or delivering a lecture, it’s important to keep it fresh. That means changing it up each and every time. Evergreen content can be changed to up its Freshness Quotient. Here are some examples, from an article Sick and Tired of the Same Old Content? Create Evergreen Content!

Skipping the Homework

Nobody should skip doing their homework, even if that homework only involves a few minutes of work. And sometimes a few minutes is all it takes. For instance, research on a competitor can be done with a quick Google search. Even a single post may take you some time.

The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog

It’s a typing exercise, sure, but it’s also a life lesson. Who knew? Of course quickness will outpace laziness. Always. It’s the reason small startups can move faster than big corporations. Neil Patel explains why the best startups execute faster than anyone else. He also talks about how the best startups fail and start again.

Sloth as a Deadly Sin

“Unlike the other capital sins, which are sins of committing immorality, sloth is a sin of omitting responsibilities.” From the Wikipedia on Sloth. If you can avoid sloth, then chances are you won’t be using the same old baloney. If you’re stuck in a rut, though, you might want to shoot me an email!

If you’re a beginner on social media, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. Your friends have been on Facebook for years, so they’re no help. What to do? Here are five simple things you can do on Facebook.

Check Your Notifications

Updates are shown through little red squares on Facebook. Click on them and you’ll see who’s trying to reach you, when a post has another comment on it, and things like that. You can change which notification you get through your settings. Here’s an excellent article about Facebook’s Notifications Being Out of Control. By the way, you can change your notifications if you’re getting too many of them.

Post Something

If you’re a business, post something about your business, such as a change in your services. Or maybe you got a new logo and would like to say something about that. Or put up a blog post. By the way, posts with images or videos get a lot more views than just text posts. And if you want to engage others on Facebook, you might like: How to Engage on Social Media: Facebook. Be forewarned, though: getting engagement on Facebook is difficult unless you pay to play.

Comment on Someone Else’s Post

Try writing a comment on a public post. You can also comment on someone else’s comment. Don’t forget that commenting increases your visibility just like creating a post does. There’s a right and a wrong way to comment, however. You probably shouldn’t comment on every single one of your friends’ posts, as Jeva Anand describes in Posting Comments to Other People’s Wall on Facebook. And you definitely don’t want to spam anyone. Please keep your comment about the subject of the other person’s post–otherwise, you could get unfriended or blocked. The good thing about commenting on someone else’s post is often they may feel compelled to return the favor and comment on your page!

Photo by Iain Farrell

Connect with a New (or an Old) Friend

That business associate you worked with ten years ago is probably on Facebook. Why not reach out and connect? If your friend has a business page, you can connect with them there, too. You probably have some new friends that you could also be friends with on Facebook. You’d be surprised who’s there. Don’t forget to set up your own Facebook business page, too, once you get comfortable with Facebook.

Join a Group or Two

There are groups for all sorts of things on Facebook. Like mountain bikes? Do a search and you’ll find a group. Enjoy traveling? There’s a group for that! Want to explore your bird watching hobby? You can definitely find fellow bird watchers. And if you’re an author, you might want to know how to promote your book with Facebook. When you’re comfortable with groups, you might even want to start your own.

Need More Help?

Still feel stuck? Facebook, just like other social media platforms, can definitely be overwhelming! It’s changing all the time and difficult to stay updated. I can definitely help you sort things out!