The 3 Biggest Lies for Creating Social Media Content by Guy Danhoff (MOHealthMedia)

7 Strategies for Helping Organizations Get Noticed in a Noisy and Crowded Space

In my last blog, I mentioned that since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, consumption rates experienced a meteoric rise in views and engagement. The latest figures show 3.78 billion social media users worldwide in 2021—a five percent increase from a year ago. It is also 920 million more than the number of social users in 2017, representing a whopping 32.2% jump in just five years.
Many organizations are now attempting to double down on their messaging using social media channels to communicate with their audience but find it challenging to grab their attention due to all the noise and clutter. Many organizations do not spend enough time training their key personnel on all the recent changes to the social media platforms themselves. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram have all made significant updates to their platforms as these companies redefine their services.

One of the biggest lies for creating social media content is that the platform in 2020 will be the same in 2021. Take YouTube, for example; this platform has shifted its priorities to keeping users on their platform, which is why the two most important metrics in 2021 are looking at the (1) Average View Duration (AVD) and (2) Click-Through Rate (CTR).

The second biggest lie is that with more than 50% of the world's population now using social media in 2021, more people will see my content. This notion certainly sounds great in theory; however, in reality, the greatest challenge facing everyone creating content is getting noticed as consumption patterns have significantly shifted since Labor Day of 2020. Long-form videos (over 10 minutes) that once generated thousands of views in the spring and summer turned into only a few hundred views (source: MOSHAPE & Missouri Healthy Schools social media analytics).

The third biggest lie is that organizational leaders can generate the most attention when creating content on social media. While this strategy sounds excellent on a Zoom conference call meeting, in theory, to have the leaders posting content, our research reveals that the "micro-influencers" within the organization usually have the most significant opportunity to get their content noticed.
Now that we are aware of the three biggest lies for creating social media content in 2021, we must pay attention to the fact we live in a boisterous and oversaturated world. There are over 60 billion messages sent out on digital platforms every day. Like it or not, we are not just competing against our direct competition. But instead, we are competing against all other pieces of content. The following seven strategies will level-up and improve your organization's chances of getting noticed moving forward with your social media content.

1. Use a "Hook Point," which is an excellent tool to grab attention. Author Brendan Kane in his new book, Hook Point: How to Stand Out in a 3-Second World, suggests using the 3 Pillars of Getting attention: (1) Hook, (2) Story, and (3) Authenticity – Are you doing it authentically? Do people believe what you are saying? The Hook refers to understanding what gets your audience to read a post, watch a video, or click on an ad. When you identify your Hook Point, you will essentially find what will make your content stand out and hook people in.
2. Use short videos (under 60-seconds) to communicate your message with your audience.
3. Use micro-influencers within your local community and state to strengthen the impressions and engagement with your audience. This tip alone can generate 2X, 3X, 4X, or even 10X your organization's impact from using micro-influencers within your tribe.
4. Post content on related topics that are trending within your industry that brings value, new perspectives, or solutions to the conversation.
5. Use consistent hashtags when posting on a particular conversation topic.
6. Create thumbnails that hook your audience to get them to click on the YouTube video content.
7. Deliver value as soon as the video starts to grab the viewers' attention.
8. POWER-TIP: Repurpose your highest viewed content to amplify your impressions, reach, and engagement.

These seven strategies will help kick start and guide your social media content to get noticed in 2021.

Stay tuned for my next blog as I unpack the seven-step process for creating consistent video content that generates views.


Guy Danhoff is the founder of ZAGPro Media and co-host of MOSHAPE's most viewed weekly content through the Live webinar series #Zagging101 sponsored by Heart Zones, Inc. (12 episodes at MOSHAPE YouTube). His step-by-step implementation of social media marketing strategies and practices directly influences many SHAPE state associations through his training and one-on-one consulting. Since March 2020, Guy has launched and produced for Missouri Healthy Schools (MHS) live weekly streaming content during the pandemic #StuckatHomeRecess, #StuckatHomeSnacks, #SpakerSpot, #TastyTuesday, and recently the host of #MOHealthMedia. Lastly, Guy was a panelist alongside the four most recent SHAPE America Presidents during a live keynote Town Hall session regarding The Impact of Social Media on Advocacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic during MOSHAPE's 2020 Virtual Convention in November.