Playing the Right Courts: Curating Social Media Posts to Network
Marketing on social media is like playing multiple sports on multiple courts—from crafting brief, witty posts for X (formerly Twitter) to creating engaging visuals for Instagram. To succeed in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, you need to know your audience, understand each platform, and post authentically to leverage each platform's strengths.
Using a social media management tool can simplify this process, but if you don't have one, here's a guide to mastering the basics.
Platform-Specific Strategies
Facebook:
With a large daily active user base and high ROI, Facebook is crucial for your marketing efforts. Focus on quality over quantity and post at optimal times. Explore Facebook's variety of post types:
- Text posts: Ideal for sparking conversations or sharing important information. Engage your audience by asking questions or seeking feedback.
- Photo posts: Use visually striking images. Coordinate with your firm's photographers to highlight project details.
- Video posts: Videos have the highest engagement. Capture attention within the first few seconds to prevent users from scrolling past.
- Live video posts: Rare but valuable. Use for Q&As, behind-the-scenes tours, or product demos to engage your followers.
- Link posts: Ensure your link previews are compelling, with eye-catching images and titles.
- Stories: These appear at the top of users' news feeds, avoiding the algorithm. Use them for timely updates and engaging content.
- Groups: Participate in or create industry-specific groups to build community and engage in meaningful discussions.
Instagram:
Instagram is all about aesthetics and consistency. Pay attention to these elements:
- Bio: Make every detail count. Include searchable names and handles, a clickable URL, relevant category, contact info and button, and a call-to-action button.
- Profile picture: Ensure it's high quality.
- Photos and videos: They should be sharp, well-lit, and well-composed.
- Design consistency: Maintain a cohesive look across all posts with consistent colors, formatting, and placement.
- Captions: Keep them short and engaging. Organic posts should be 138–150 characters, while ads should be under 125 characters.
- Hashtags: Use 3–5 relevant hashtags to reach your niche audience.
- Stories: Tell compelling stories within the first 3 seconds. Provide valuable information and encourage interactions with swiping actions.
- Reels: Short, engaging video content can significantly increase reach and engagement.
- Highlights: Use story highlights to showcase key aspects of your firm, such as completed projects, team culture, and client testimonials.
LinkedIn:
LinkedIn posts are truncated at 140 characters, so make your hooks and crucial information concise. For longer posts, aim for 50–100 words to drive traffic to links and articles. Articles posted directly on LinkedIn perform best at 1900–2000 words, with titles of 40–49 characters.
- Professionalism: LinkedIn is a professional network that values expertise. Demonstrate your firm's knowledge and professionalism to engage users effectively.
- Thought Leadership: Share insights, industry trends, and thought leadership articles to position your firm as an industry leader.
- Company Page: Ensure your company page is fully optimized with up-to-date information, high-quality visuals, and relevant keywords.
- Employee Advocacy: Encourage your team to share and engage with company content to increase reach and credibility.
X (formerly Twitter):
X is your fast-paced newsfeed. Aim for brief, compelling messages of 71–100 characters. Pair longer messages with graphics or videos to retain attention. Use high-quality images, as X does not crop them.
- Link Placement: X will hide posts that bring users away from the app, so place any external links in the reply to your main post and indicate where to find them (“link in reply”).
- Trends and Hashtags: Stay current by participating in trending topics and using relevant hashtags to increase visibility.
- Polls and Questions: Engage your audience with polls and questions to encourage interaction and gather insights.
General Best Practices
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent posting schedule across all platforms to keep your audience engaged and informed.
- Engagement: Actively respond to comments, messages, and mentions to build relationships and foster community.
- Analytics: Regularly review your social media analytics to understand what content performs best and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Visuals: Invest in high-quality visuals and design elements to make your posts stand out and reflect your brand’s professionalism.
- Storytelling: Use storytelling techniques to make your posts more relatable and engaging. Highlight real-life examples, client success stories, and behind-the-scenes glimpses.
- SEO: Optimize your profiles and posts with relevant keywords to improve searchability and reach.
By understanding and utilizing the strengths of each social media platform, you can create impactful posts that resonate with your audience and enhance your firm's online presence.
