Once someone creates a Facebook page for their business, or a business account on some other social network, something interesting happens: their brain suddenly switches gears and thinks of nothing but the business. They sit there and work on content for their social properties and focus on nothing but the business, and as a result, they often freeze up. They forget that when they show up for work they don’t just talk about their business. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
When creating content for your digital social properties, don’t get stuck in the work rut. You don’t have to just focus on things related to your business. In fact, you might actually get more engagement by mixing in other types of content that have nothing to do with your business. Believe it or not, your customers and prospective customers are interested in more than just your business.
Here are a few simple ideas for off-topic engagement that I bet will stir up some engagement. Try some and see which ones work for you.
Food – Everybody likes food. From my experience, when people post pictures or statuses about food, they tend to generate all sorts of discussion. Go ahead: mention bacon or coffee. I dare you.
Holidays – Talk about the seasons and the holidays. Every holiday has something you can post about. Heck, you can even talk about the weather. People love to talk about the weather, good or bad.
Funny – Bring on the funny and make ‘em laugh. Funny videos, funny pictures, and even funny stories.
Videos – Beyond funny videos, well crafted compelling videos, and even videos that make you cry can be effective.
Current events – Talk about what’s happening in the news, whether it’s the Olympics, the Mars rover, or even some sort of local news events. Just be careful when talking about politics or more controversial events, as it could come back to bite you. Be tasteful and choose your topics carefully.
Go local – If you’re a small business, talk about what’s going on in your area. Support the local culture, arts, and business community. There’s nothing wrong with talking about other businesses in your area. Promoting the local community is a great way to build goodwill.
Non-profits/causes – Whether they be local or international, supporting non-profits and good causes is a great way to use your social channels. Let your fans know about ways they can help by giving to causes as local as helping the area homeless, or even as global as providing relief for victims of natural disasters around the world.
Mix it up and don’t get locked into the business zone.
What other non-business content ideas have you tried?