Succeed on Social Media by Being Human

By Jill Kurtz, Owner, Kurtz Digital StrategyWant to succeed on social media? Focus on relationship building above all else.People engage with people on social media. You may be promoting a business, brand, or event, but to connect with people you need to be human. Here are three things to keep in mind on social media:1. InteractFocus on connecting with the the right people, not just building a volume of connections. Think about the quality of your interactions, not the quantity. Ask questions, invite comments – say and do things that will help you build relationships.Research shows that brands that make their social presence all about them don’t perform as well as those who use these platforms to connect to their audience. Be sure to share content from and about your core audience members. Interact with content that isn’t your own.2. “Talk” Like a PersonPut aside the jargon and industry code words and write your posts just as you would talk to a friend. Make each post easy to understand. Injecting a little levity also helps people to read your personality in the words.Develop an actual document that outlines the voice of your brand and be consistent. You want all the posts to sound coherent.3. Illustrate with PeopleWhenever possible, include people in your images. Even a post about a new report can show someone holding the report. The more faces you show, the better.Share photos and videos of the people in your organization so visitors get to know who you are, not just what you do.[author]About the Author:  Jill Kurtz founded Kurtz Digital Strategy to help clients see the communication potential of the newest trends and technologies. She is an expert at website strategy and redesign, social media planning, and developing exceptional content. [/author]