Your Social Media Shouldn’t be a Bulletin Board

Written By Alicia Vial

Businesses know they need to be on social media. But sometimes their feeds start looking less like social media and more like a bulletin board – event announcements, awards, promotions and links. So how do you make people actually want to stop, read and engage?

When we say bulletin board, we mean when everything you post is an announcement. 

  • We won an award 

  • Register for our event 

  • Read our latest news 

  • Click here 

Those things have a place. But if that’s all you post, you’re really just talking at people. It’s called social media for a reason. You want to give people a reason to interact with you. 

Businesses are thinking about what they want to say instead of what their audience wants to hear. Before you post, ask yourself: Why would someone stop scrolling for this? Does it teach them something? Help them? Entertain them? If the only answer is “Because we want people to know this,” you probably need to rethink the post.  

That does not mean you should avoid posting announcements altogether, though. You still have information to share. The difference is how you share it. Instead of just saying “Our annual event is Oct. 10. Register now,” tell me why I should care. What happens at the event? Who will I meet? What will I learn? Introduce me to someone who will be there. You can communicate the same information without making every post feel like an advertisement.

Put people back into your social media. Show your employees. Answer questions you hear from customers. Take people behind the scenes. Let your experts explain something in their own words. And your copy should sound like something a person would actually say. A good test is to read your caption out loud. If you would never say it that way in a conversation, don’t write it that way on social media. 

Think about questions people ask you every day. Those questions are content. If one customer is asking it, chances are other people want to know too. You can also share quick tips, misconceptions about your industry, behind-the-scenes moments or introduce the people who make your business work. 

Every post doesn’t also have to be “buy,” “register” or “click the link.” Sometimes your call to action can simply be a question: 

  • What do you think? 

  • Have you tried this? 

  • Which would you choose? 

Give people an easy way to join the conversation. 

Pull up your last nine posts and look at them together. Ask yourself: How many of these are about us, and how many are actually useful or interesting to our audience? If everything says “we”, “our” and “us,” that’s a sign your social media may have become a bulletin board. Your business may own the page, but your audience should still feel like the content is for them.  

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Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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