A few weeks ago, I put a silly story up on Instagram about my awe in discovering guacamole salsa is a thing. (That’s post-worthy, right?)
This was the story:
Not that riveting, and…kind of dumb (but I was really excited, ok?).
But this story about guacamole salsa got 285% more views than any other story I’ve published so far. I was shocked. I hadn’t put that much effort into it, and it wasn’t even relevant…or so I thought.
When I saw the numbers the next day, I told my mom, “I think I’m just going to retire and talk about guacamole.”
She said that would make an interesting article.
And that got my wheels spinning. What is the secret sauce to reaching more people? (Hint: not literal sauce; guacamole salsa doesn’t count, although that would tempt me, in case you were wondering…)
So in brainstorming this subject, here are three tips to reach more people with your content (and I’m definitely not an expert and am still growing things, but wanted to share the little successes I’ve experienced so you can too!):
1. Be Versatile
This was a bit disappointing, but I realized not everyone wants to read about how to be a better writer. A lot of them would rather see pictures of guacamole salsa. Disappointing if we look at it as it this way.
But in reality, we can spin any topic to be relevant to the right people. It just takes a little practice and a willingness to be flexible.
I can still talk and post about writing topics, but it’s easy to tie in popular, desirable, and relatable topics like coffee, healthy habits, creativity, and other broader subjects that people enjoy reading about. That way, I expand my reach while still discussing what I’m here to discuss. In fact, I’m really expanding writing’s reach.
2. Be Human
When people know there’s a real human on the other end of a social media post who cares about their well being or who cares about making them happy—especially if it’s an advertisement—they’re more likely to connect and engage.
(Or in this case, someone they can relate to who admits to having an obsession with avocado slime, which may be a point of commonality.)
We can’t write and post like robots and expect results. My sister told me I should be more personal on my “business” Instagram account. I noticed that when I do that—when I share people-centered posts vs. writing-centered ones—they perform much better.
Doesn’t this kind of undermine my goals, though?
Not really. My goal isn’t to talk about writing to everyone I can, although it’s easy for me to slip into that mindset. My goal is to forge connections and friendships with people so that when they have a problem that I know how to solve (i.e., they need a writer or editor), I’m the one they want to go to.
It goes the other way too. I know a great number of people in the photography and film industries through relationship and working together. I have an excellent list of who I’d go to if I need a video, a photo shoot, or a graphic design project.
3. Be Humorous
A little humor puts the human in the interaction and can go a long way. Have you ever asked Siri or Google to tell you a joke? It’s just painful and awkward, right?
People connect through humor in ways electronics can’t. So if you can demonstrate that you’re funny and know how to have a good laugh (but do keep it professional if you don’t want to lose out), people will like that.
So while I might make it big if I retired from writing and started a podcast on all the ways to enjoy guacamole, I’m going to keep at the whole writing thing. I’m just going to be more strategic about it. And who knows? Maybe there’s a client out there who wants to write a book on guacamole salsa. If so, they’ll know who to call.
What have you found helpful as you write and share your content? Or do you have questions on how to communicate more effectively in your business?
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