It is tempting for companies to share their content exclusively to drive sales or marketing, neglecting authentic commitment.

It takes discipline to share content from like-minded companies or industry opinion leaders.

You may have heard from co-workers or business owners that social networks have really changed the game for them in terms of leads and sales.

Social networks are an amazing way to reach potential customers that you would otherwise have missed.

But some of you may have started doing some social campaigns on your own, and you are not seeing the kind of results you have heard!

One of the benefits of hiring a social media marketing company is that they know all the tips, tricks and social media rules necessary for your campaign to be effective.

And when we say the rules of social networks, we are not talking about subjective ideas that generally increase the results of a campaign.

We are talking about rules of real social networks: guidelines and advertising policies established by the platform of social networks that advertisers and companies like yours should follow.

By following the so-called “Rule of the thirds” of social networks, you will ensure that you are sharing content that attracts and keeps track of those interested.

What is the rule of the thirds of social networks?

• ⅓ of its social content promotes its business, converts readers and generates profits.
• A third of your social content should come up and share ideas and stories from opinion leaders in your industry or related businesses.
• ⅓ Your social content should be based on personal interactions and build your personal brand.

Sharing your own brand content should be something natural. It’s the other two thirds that can be a challenge.

Let’s talk about why sharing professional and personal content is equally important.

What is 5: 3: 2?

Social media can play an important role in attracting audiences to your brand, but what do you need to do to get there? What should I be sharing and when?

The key you should not do is talk about yourself all day and every day; This is the sure way to keep people away from your brand.

It’s like that annoying “friend” you have on Facebook who brags all the time, who hides from your timeline or, ultimately, is not your friend.

It does not want to be that brand.

So, what should I be doing? This is where rule 5: 3: 2 comes into play, and it has nothing to do with the rules of football (or soccer, depending on your part of the world).

With regard to social exchange, it is about achieving the right balance, so think about every ten publications:

• 5 should be content from other sources that are relevant to your audience, also known as healing.
• 3 must be content that you have created, that is relevant to your audience or creation.
• 2 must be personal and fun content that humanizes your brand for your audience, to be called humanization.

You will notice that each of these areas has something in common: they are all focused on your audience, not on you.

So let’s dig a little deeper into each one and see how they can attract your audience and what you can do to get the most out of each one.

50% cure

Therefore, most of what you share must be cured from other places and sources that are relevant to your niche and audience.

There is a lot of content out there, take time to read the industry news and be part of the conversation around topics that you know will interest your audience.

Sharing content that is relevant and specific to your industry area will indicate that you are aware. The pulse of what is happening.

Here are some tools to help you quickly customize the content of your social media channels:

• Feedly
• Storify
• Quora

These are not the only healing tools you can use, but they are a starting point.

Remember that everything you post should be useful and shareable; It must also be relevant to your niche and audience.

Creation of 30%

Next, you want to spend some time creating content on your own, try to stay away from difficult sales. If you do, you will undoubtedly see that your list of followers decreases.

Social networks have to do with attracting the audience you want and what you do is valuable content. Try to create varied content as well, as this will keep things interesting for your audience. These types of content could include:

• Blogs
• Infographics
• e-books
• Videos

20% humanization

This is what gives life to your brand and shows your audience that you are human and not just a large faceless corporation that tries to sell you.

It’s okay to publish random publications like this if you have the correct balance. The result is likely to be more followers because they will keep coming back to see what other fun things you publish and also to find other useful content.

When sharing this type of content make sure:

1. It’s the kind of fun your audience likes.
2. It shows your brand personality

Now that you know the 5: 3: 2 rule and how it can work for your brand, but now you wonder how I can continue to share and publish all this excellent content?

Access a social media management tool, there are many options to help you program, manage and find content, all in one place! 

Below is a selection of the main platforms that will be used for the administration of their social networks:

• Buffer
• HootSuite
• TweetDeck
• SproutSocial

To help you with the best time to schedule your publications in each social network.

In conclusion,

So there’s the 5: 3: 2 rule for social networks, remember that it’s about your audience and finding a balance in the content you share.

Try not to try to sell all the time and, instead, focus on the content that is valuable, interesting and fun; You want to humanize your brand and make your audience interact with you.

The 80/20 Rule

There is no secret formula to successfully interact with your audience on social networks, but applying the “80/20 Rule” should always be an important part of your social media strategy.

It simply comes down to this: use only 20% of your content to promote your brand, and dedicate 80% to the content that really interests your audience and involve them in conversations.

Do not get me wrong, social networks are definitely a big part of your marketing mix. But because people use social networks to be social, they do not want to be subjected to their online sales pitch.

Always try to create relationships, instead of annoying your audience with irrelevant content and increase your own image.

Because people use social networks to be social, they do not want to be subjected to their online sales pitch.

The year 2018 was marked as “a great year for content”, therefore, content marketing is a really important component of any social media marketing strategy.

Here’s how to apply ‘The 80/20 rule’ to your social media content:

20% of your brand content: include persuasive calls to action

When you work on 20% of the content that deals with your brand, also include information that benefits your audience.

Include a discount, add a special offer, provide useful statistics, etc.

Be sure to integrate a persuasive call to action that will inspire your audience to learn more about your company so it can lead to conversion in the future.

80% of other ‘interesting content’: make it shareable

Dedicating 80% to interesting content that really suits the interests and needs of your audience means compiling content from influential people whose ideas and ideas you agree with.

It supports your way of thinking, the way you do business or what you think is happening in your industry.

Think of retweets, inspirational quotes, links to news, questions, etc.

Just look for content that appeals to your audience and shares it on your social channels.

Put aside your pride and share the content of another company

Why is it so important to share external content with other companies or opinion leaders? It shows your audience that you know the industry like the back of your hand, that you are collegial and aware of the competition.

It shows that it is collaborative and secure enough in its own brand to share the content of another person.

It also doubles your exposure by connecting your content to your audience or online community.

By sharing content from another company, even a competitor, your company is positioned as the best source of content more complete and rounded.

To get content from other companies, try these features:

• Find industry influencers: use keyword searches or suggested Twitter user lists to find influential people in your industry. Once you have found them, add them to a list or transmit them to continue listening.
• Follow your competition: find your competition or other online related businesses with keyword searches, add them to a list or transmit them and start sharing the good things.
• Follow the hashtags and industry keywords: source the hashtags or keywords of your industry and follow them in a sequence to keep them in your backpack. This will help you find new content and know what to include in yours.
• Make lists: create lists of influential people, competitors, industry keywords and opinion leaders and keep them in separate sequences for easy listening.
• Configure transmissions: multiple transmissions simplify your listening opportunities so you can spend less time searching for excellent content.
• Use several styles of Re-Tweet: In HootSuite for example, by selecting “edit” on the Retweet button, you can give your content its own spin. Or, by selecting “Yes”, it simply comes out through its channels with its attached profile. This makes your Twitter feed look more dynamic and shows that you are outsourcing content (something good).

Time to get staff

The personalization in social networks is twofold: build your personal brand in your own channels and be more customizable in your business.

Personal accounts give you the opportunity to share attractive content, create a personal brand around your interests and participate with your followers.

Companies, on the other hand, can learn a lot from personal social accounts. Getting involved with your audience through personal interactions opens your business and shows a more human and vulnerable side.

This could mean sharing the stories of your customers, appreciating your comments or encouraging employees to be brand ambassadors online.

By doing so, you not only recognize your audience, but you also build a committed community.

To listen and participate with your community, try these features:

• Trust teams: train your employees to be online ambassadors. They can share and amplify the content of their business, participate in personal conversations with a personal touch and collaborate to respond and receive feedback from fans.
• Configure Streams: use streams and tabs to get a quick overview of your activity on social networks. This helps you listen and participate better with your audience.
• Find community ambassadors: Suppose you wrote a blog post about your business and a fan had a lot to say in the comments. Contact them to write invited publications or follow them on social networks to get different perspectives.

In Canarias Digital we empower our followers to be ambassadors with a personal touch. We encourage everyone to contribute to the blog and create a professional and personal brand.

This adds new perspectives and exposes Canarias Digital to more diverse audiences. Similarly, our customer service team is encouraged to sign messages with your name. Claudia is our example.

This allows them to have a voice and conduct personal interactions while they are useful.

13 Social Media Rules To Live

Social networks are now a common place in sales, marketing and general business communications.

Unfortunately, some people still do not know how to use social networks in the workplace without having to land in hot water.

Here are the rules, slightly adapted to our social media policy with an extra portion of common sense:

1. DO NOT  provide confidential or other information. If there is any question in your mind, err on the side of keeping silent.

2. DO NOT  identify yourself by name and, when relevant, your role, when discussing your company or matters related to it.

3. DO NOT  write in the first person plural (for example, “we”, “our”). Make it clear that you speak for yourself and not on behalf of your company.

4. BE AWARE that everything you post will be public for a long time, possibly throughout your career.

5. NOT  violate the laws of copyright, fair use or disclosure of financial information. When you quote someone, link back to the source if possible.

6. MAKE SURE that your online profiles and related content are consistent with the way you want to present yourself to your colleagues and clients.

7. DO NOT  assume that the anonymous publication will keep your true identity secret if you post inappropriate comments and content.

8. Assume  personal responsibility for the content you post on blogs, wikis or any other public forum.

9. DO NOT  forget that the brand of your company is represented by your people and what you publish will inevitably be reflected in that brand.

10. Make the best effort to add value by providing valuable information and perspective instead of mere opinions and bluffing.

11. DO NOT  quote or make reference to the clients, partners or suppliers of the company without their approval. If you do so, you could take your business in legal trouble.

12. Show due consideration for the privacy of others and for sensitivities that may exist with respect to politics and religion.

13. DO NOT  use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in any online behavior that is not acceptable at work.

In summary, if a brand focuses too much on itself within social networks as a means to increase sales, its audience will see it and disconnect it immediately.

Only by discovering what really interests your audience and responding to those needs will your brand be able to maintain a consistent, sustainable and attractive online social media presence.