How can you get to that “next level” with your creative business? We chatted with marketing and business coach, @jelenaostrovska, who shared her secrets to successfully guiding your audience, creating intentional content, finding the right tools, choosing your niche, and refining both your brand…and copywriting skills!
GUIDE YOUR AUDIENCE.
Q: What strategy do you follow to ensure the content you create will generate engagement on social media?
JELENA: I always start my posts with the “end goal in mind”. What action do I want my audience to take after they read or watch my content? Then I think about a curiosity-provoking headline that would make people stop scrolling through their newsfeed and keep reading my piece of content.
That’s the ultimate key with getting attention on social media: quality images/videos + catchy headlines.
And in order to get higher engagement, you have to tell people what to do. Want them to drop a comment? Tell them that! Want them to answer a question? Ask it!
If you don’t tell [audiences] what to do, they won’t do anything.
And, in order for you to grow your media impact, you have to […] figure out WHAT is it that your audience really wants from you and your business.
The moment you figure out how you can best serve your potential customers, things will change dramatically.
BE INTENTIONAL.
Q: In your opinion, what components are crucial to creating good content?
JELENA: First and foremost […] the headline. If you don’t take the time to create a good, captivating headline, it doesn’t matter how good your content is – no one will read it. You [also] have to share stories – they hold the attention of the audience. I was asked a question several times – “Jelena, why do you write those super long captions? Does anyone even read them?”. HECK YEAH they do! Once you know how to share stories and evoke emotion, it doesn’t matter how long your content is, people will hang on to every word.
And last but not least, you have to be intentional with your content. Just posting for the sake of posting is not going to build your influence or grow a big audience. Always plan your content ahead of time so it is quality information, and create content with intention. That’s how you can stand out from everyone else.
FIND YOUR TOOLS!
Q: What tools would you recommend for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience in content creation?
JELENA: If you don’t have any experience in content creation, become a student! Figure out your niche first, then find mentors you can listen to, and start taking notes. This is the easiest way to get into content creation mode.
Learn, then implement, then teach. As simple as that.
The biggest problem content creators experience is “lack of ideas”, and that happens when you’re not being an active student. I highly recommend the following for personal development – podcasts, YouTube videos, articles, forums, social media groups and communities.
CHOOSE YOUR NICHE.
Q: In your experience, what’s the most frequent social media mistake? Is there anything you’d describe as “social suicide”?
JELENA: In my opinion, “social suicide” is trying to be everything to everyone. If you want to build real influence, you have to “niche down”. You cannot be a generic influencer and talk about makeup, and travel, and dogs, and business, and relationships, and health and wellness. It doesn’t work like this. We follow certain brands and people because we know what they bring to the table – and it’s always something specific. When you are generic, people forget about you.
WHY COPYWRITING SKILLS MATTER.
Q: How do you incorporate your copywriting background into your work?
JELENA: I started learning copywriting back in 2015 when I found out about it, and it fascinated me. More than that, it made me realize that it was THE skill I had to master, no matter what it takes. If you look around, we’re using it everywhere (even in this interview). When you work with people, you MUST understand how they think and what makes them take action. That’s psychology right there, and that’s what copywriting is all about. Look around — we use it all over the place… to create social media posts, record YouTube videos, write Facebook/Instagram ads. Everything! I’m using copywriting on a daily basis in my business. And I highly recommend this [as a skill to build].
BRAND FIRST, SOCIAL STRATEGY SECOND.
Q: What’s the smartest social media decision you feel an up-and-coming social media influencer can make? How would you coach them through this?
JELENA: I think each social media influencer should have some form of monetization strategy, because I see too many talented people let their talent go to waste. Moreover, a lot of them stay at jobs they dislike, when they could be learning how to monetize their following. With every person I coach, we start working ‘backwards’ . We figure out what they’re selling (or want to sell), and only AFTER do we work on their social media content strategy to support and promote their product. Too many influencers are building a following “just by simply posting”, but forget that they can actually make money from social media (and even quit their jobs in the process).
And that wraps up today’s mini coaching session! How are you going to put it into practice?
Thanks so much, @jelenh66dr! To be featured in our series, drop a comment HERE!