[Marketing Tip] What is the 80-20 Rule in Social Media?

“Social media is like a networking group online and your involvement is much like attending a cocktail party.
You want to engage others and create conversation, share fun stories and information, and sometimes talk seriously and promote yourself.“

[Marketing Tip] What is the 80-20 Rule in Social Media?

Engaging your social media audience can be challenging. I know you have heard of the 80/20 rule in business, also called The Pareto Principle, that is that 80% of the outcome is from 20% of the effort. Or another way of putting it is, 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients. A great principle and one that is amazingly accurate.  This rule takes on a new twist with social media marketing. The 80/20 rule for social media simply means that 80% of your content should be tailored to your audience by providing them with value, while the remaining 20% can be used to promote your own brand.

Incorporating the 80/20 rule into your social media marketing strategy can increase engagement. Ultimately, the level of engagement boils down to the type of content you’re providing. Here are a few ways that you can apply the 80/20 rule to your social strategy:

80% Valuable Content

• Make it Shareable
  Keep things informative and interesting. On Facebook, consider posting educational curated content and original thoughts (blogposts, your news and announcements ). Keep track of trending hashtags on Instagram to post timely content. Your audience is more prone to share your content if it’s relatable and useful.
• Connect and Network 
  Social media is for building relationships, a thought that often gets overlooked. It’s vital that you’re acknowledging engagement. If a follower comments on a Facebook post, be sure to quickly reply with a thoughtful response. Take time to “network” on your social media pages, like, follow, respond, comment, share.
• Get Personal 
  More than likely your audience’s newsfeeds are flooded with generic content. Add your own personal flair by posting pictures of your kids, pets, and leisure activities. For instance, if you’re going on an afternoon hike, consider using Facebook Live, Stories, or Instagram Stories. You want your audience to be able to relate to you on both a professional and personal level.

20% Promotional Content

• Toot Your Horn 
  Make the most out of your promotional content. Include important information about products and services. If you’re releasing a new product, consider boosting a post on Facebook to ensure that you’re reaching the largest audience. You can also include testimonial videos on both YouTube and Instagram. Although promotional, you’re still providing value.
• Include a Call-to-Action
  When necessary, promotional content should include a persuasive message that inspires your audience to take action. Action phrases such as “Click here to learn more” and “Share this post if you’re interested” could lead to future conversions.

Remember this:

Social media is like a networking group online and your involvement is much like attending a cocktail party. You want to engage others and create conversation, share fun stories and information, and sometimes talk seriously and promote yourself. If you’re using social media for your business, then of course it’s going to be necessary from time to time for you to talk about your services and make offers by creating blatantly promotional and informative posts. That’s okay, but don’t get caught up in just that, nothing is more boring than a Facebook business page that only posts about their business.

I work with a lot of clients to help them create and implement their social media strategies, and I see a consistent pattern with them all. When we begin to work on developing their social media program, I find that the client is usually very heavy on one side or the other – they are either only posting and sharing memes, photos, games, etc., or they are far too promotional. So take this to heart when planning your social media strategy. Follow the 80/20 rule and make a practice of posting only two of every ten posts about your business services, make the other eight posts fun, informational, educational, conversational and entertaining, and make every post count.

This month, make it a priority to reevaluate your social media strategy and determine if you’re utilizing the 80/20 rule. If not, make the appropriate content adjustments and see if your engagement increases.

Happy marketing!