Tuesday Tip: Get emotional. 4 ways to boost your social media efforts.

Now let's start with some clarity: we don't all need to commission Sarah McLachlan or rely on sad images of animals to pull on heartstrings for our business. However, there are plenty of other emotions we should consider. The problem is, when we get tired of social media, we neglect to critically think about this. With each post, we need to reflect on what makes our audience stop and listen. Or more specifically, what encourages them to engage with a post.

Our Tuesday Tip: Get emotional!

Kissmetrics wrote a post on focusing on feelings when it comes to Facebook Ads specifically, but let's incorporate these ideas into how four emotions could work for your overall social media messaging. 

1. Excitement 

This is a fairly simple emotion to draw on – one that you've probably used in the past, but of which you forgot the power. Think about why people are coming to social media. For many of them, it's to add some zest to a slow period at work or a commercial break at home. If your post can emphasize excitement during a dull afternoon, they're much more likely to get excited about your business. 

Reese's pulled on the anticipation around March Madness with the image below: 

Image source: Tint

2. Inspiration

Ever see a commercial or ad that makes you want to get up off the couch and do something? Your social media posts hold a similar potential. Think about what empowers your audience. Map out a few options for empowering messaging and then consider pairing these with a striking photo. 

Image source: Cory Staudacher

3. Curiousity

Sometimes, people can't help but click. Pose a question to your audience or create a quiz. If you know what they care about learning, you'll be able to create content in which they're interested. Just try not to rely on ambiguity to get them to click; for example, "click this to learn more about yourself" might make people curious, but they may not click through if it's unclear where the link will bring them.

Image source: Kissmetrics

4. My favorite: FOMO

I, for one, have severe "fear of missing out." I think it's safe to say most of us do. This can explain why "50% limited time" ads lead to high conversions – people don't want to miss out! This can also work with other types of social posts. It's likely there's something your audience wishes they could do. The fear of never doing it could entice them to take action.

The post below pulls on peoples' desire to be in shape:

Image source: AdEspresso

Whereas these guys from Delta grab the attention of those who wish they could travel:

Image source: AdEspresso

Whoever they may be, your audience has desires and emotions that need to be spoken to through strong messaging. Study your audience, understand what they want and show that your business can deliver that. If all of your posts do this in a compelling way, your audience may just start to believe in your business.