Human beings are creatures of habit, and it’s no accident we evolved this way. Our routines make us more efficient and more productive, and save our brains from the torments of overthinking.
Human beings are creatures of habit, and it’s no accident we evolved this way. Our routines make us more efficient and more productive, and save our brains from the torments of overthinking.
But along with all this efficiency comes an unfortunate side effect: the stifling of creativity. While we’re driving the same route to work, drinking the same coffee and seeing the same people, we get comfortable and forget how to shake up our lives.
And sadly, our social media world also tends to get trapped in this vortex of monotony. We schedule our posts, post the same types of content and interact with the same circles day after day after day. And while staying inside your comfort zone might make you feel like a social media master guru ninja maven, it doesn’t exactly showcase your business as creative and forward-thinking.
Here are a few ways to get out of the rut:
Put Yourself in the Spotlight
It’s scary putting yourself in front of the camera, but your fans and followers want to see the face behind the business. People build relationships with other people, so customers are more likely to approach your company if it has a friendly, personal vibe (as opposed to a generic/evil corporate one). Interact with your customers on a more human level by posting photos from around the office or from industry events, or by showing off your knowledge and expertise with a webinar or Google Hangout.
And while you’re at it, don’t forget that social media is a two-way street. As much fun as it is to post only about yourself or your company, you need to acknowledge the existence of others. Tag, repost, respond—do whatever it takes to show the world you’re not a self-centred robot.
Do Something Out of Character
Predictable ≠ interesting. Always posting links to your blogs, and nothing but links to your blogs? Always churning out promotional material? Then it’s time to broaden your horizons. It’s beneficial to post something unexpected once in a while—videos, photos, interesting/relevant articles, musings on current events, even posts that are purely for entertainment—to keep your fans and followers engaged. Plus, it makes the social media experience more appealing and fun for you, the content curator.
Explore Other Social Circles
It’s nice to have a core group of fans and followers who you can count on to share and respond to your content. But it’s also fun to expand your social landscape to include a variety of personalities with a variety of interests. Doing so will not only broaden your influence and increase your company’s exposure, but also open your eyes to a whole new world of content ideas and creative styles.
