Social media can be annoying, especially when those in-your-face ads stalk you as you’re scrolling through your feed. That’s what’s called “click bait.” So how do you capture the attention of your ideal customer without being annoying? Read on for three ways you can stop the scroll without being annoying. 

What is Clickbait anyway?

Click bait is anything that catches your attention and tricks you into clicking on a link that you most likely wouldn’t click on if you actually knew what it was for.

Social media is a constant racket to try to get the attention of scrollers, but always ask yourself three things when you create a post or ad for your business: 

• Who is my ideal customer and what problem am I solving for them? (okay, that was technically two questions. So sue me.)
• Is the image and/or copy representing what my business stands for?
• Does the post show the human side of my business? 

How do I stop the scroll tastefully while attracting the right clients to my business?

Look, we all want to capture the attention of our ideal customer. So how do you do it without being spammy? Follow these three suggestions in how to create tasteful content that still gets the attention of your peeps: 

1. People Are People

People like to see themselves on social media. There I said it. Is it because we’re vain? Maybe, but it’s mostly because we are looking for relatable content that shows us that we are not alone. Content that makes us laugh, smile, cry makes people feel, well, peopley. Therefore, any time you have an opportunity to showcase the human side of your business, do it. Here are just a few ideas how: 

• Feature milestones or celebrations of you or those on your team: anniversaries, wins, birthdays,etc. 
• Candid, behind-the-scenes, action shots: Showing either yourself or others working in your business is a great way to show an inside look of what you’re working on.
• Tell your story: Everyone has a story. What’s yours? Perhaps it involves others in your business? People are fascinated with how entrepreneurs got their start. It’s a great way for potential clients to get to know you and understand the passion that drives your business.  

2. Show Your True Colors

I know this seems like a no-brainer, but using bright colors (always your brand colors) stops the scroll. However, keep in mind that while colors may catch the eye, you want your viewers to continue to look at your post for other reasons. The following are post ideas using color as your main attention getter while still offering something of value:  

• Announcements:  upcoming events, milestones, celebrations
• A valuable tip related to your product or service
• An inspiring quote that relates to the values and perspective of your business
• A burning question you think folks have about your industry 
• A relatable thought of the day

3. Squirrel! 

Who has an attention span that lasts more than 3 seconds? Hello? Have I lost you already? Okay. I’ll get to the point. Video will always outperform any other type of post because, well, squirrel! It catches our eye more easily than a still photo. Simple as that.  Just remember to be authentic. Here are ideas for quick and easy video content: 

• Behind-the-scenes footage of Gary making coffee
• A goofy boomerang of you and Alicia getting jiggy with the copy machine
• Flip the camera around, ask a question and give a call to action to have folks answer in the comments
• Demonstrate a product or service that you provide
• Interview a client or a colleague 

There are, of course, a ton of ways to catch the attention of your social media audience, but the three most important things to keep in mind when doing so are: 

1. Know who you are talking to
2. Offer something of value
3. Be authentic
4. Don’t be annoying (Okay. So I snuck in a fourth. Sue me.)

Welp, hope this helped. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment with a squirrel.