3 Essentials For Creating A Social Strategy With Heart

With the huge amount of posts that appear on social media every second, heated competition on every platform as we all vie for attention, paid posts and #sponsored #ads, ruthless brands and ambitious influencers, social media can sometimes seem like a pretty heartless place these days.  

But when it boils down to it, social media is really all about human connection, so where better to extend the hand of kindness and really connect with people? 

Read on for three essentials for creating a social strategy with heart.

Be honest and transparent

Social media has come under fire recently with claims of unethical or shady practices. Both users and social media giants have fallen under scrutiny, eroding people’s trust in social media as a whole.

Social influencers have also been implicated, with many of them being caught pushing products without ever having tried them, or promoting brands or events (such as Fyre Festival) without declaring their posts as ads.

Consequently, it’s crucial that you eschew bad practices, and embrace honesty and transparency throughout your social strategy.

Depending on the nature of your account, this will manifest in different ways. If you do sponsored posts, for example, you need to make clear that you are being paid for it with an #ad hashtag. There are plenty of clear guidelines to follow when it comes to sponsored or gifted posts. 

But it’s also about being candid about your internal processes too. Owning up to mistakes or shortcomings on social shows that you are honest and have integrity — vital for crafting a social strategy with heart. Reply to comments (both positive and negative) promptly, be open about any mistakes (after all, you’re only human), and never delete neggy comments.

Treat people as friends, not followers

Social media is exactly that — social. And while the way social media is used has changed since its inception, at its core, it is about people connecting with people.

That’s one of the main reasons why micro-influencers are so effective —  they have a stronger, more meaningful connection with their online audience, which generates more engagement with content. 

So what does that mean for you? Well, whether you’re a brand, solo entrepreneur or social influencer, that means responding to comments and questions on your social media profile with genuine, sincere answers.

Forego the typical professional attitude of business and instead adopt a genuine human manner. Be informal but friendly, candid without being brusque, and simply reply to your comments as you would to a friend.

Yes, replying to as many comments as you can in a human, personable way takes time — you can’t automate human connection — but it’s worth it for the close relationship you’ll nurture with your followers.

Use monetisation features for a good cause

Social media and ecommerce go hand-in-hand — and you can even use this connection for kindness. Indeed, adding a revenue stream to your Instagram means you can fund your kindness campaign and make it go further.

Take Instagram, for instance. There are many ways you can make money on the platform — it’s what sets it apart from other social networks. But rather than use these methods for your own gain, instead, employ them for more charitable methods.

For instance, rather than selling your own products, partner with a different charity each month and push their own products instead, such as sponsorship kits or merchandise. Or, if you do choose to sell your own products, donate a portion of your proceeds to a charity of your choice.

You could even build your community further by encouraging your followers to vote for your next partnered charity.

It can seem tricky to make sure your social strategy is consistently kind and thoughtful — especially when competition is so high, and you seem to be at the whim of some pretty brutal algorithms. But introduce the concepts above to your social media today, and you’ll soon spread kindness through a social strategy that truly has heart.