{"id":935,"date":"2017-11-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-13T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-to-stop-being-boring-on-social-media\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T05:33:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T10:33:46","slug":"stop-boring-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/stop-boring-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stop being boring on social media"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to stop being boring on social media\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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You\u2019re active on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook\u2014but being active and being engaging are two very different things. If you\u2019ve spent any time on these platforms, you know that your business colleagues can be downright\u2014shall we say it?\u2014BORING. Don\u2019t fall into this trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s easy to fill your Buffer queue with new articles or link your company\u2019s RSS feed to your accounts with IFTTT, easy doesn\u2019t mean engaging. Easy is boring. Everyone is doing easy. You need to take it a step further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a five-step action plan to take the boring out of your personal\u2014or brand\u2014social media accounts. Do us all a favor and stop being boring. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Figure out where you\u2019re missing the mark<\/h2>
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    Look back over your social media updates with an analytics tool or just a quick run through your last several months of posts. I use IFTTT<\/a> to backup all of my updates to Evernote, and I can search through my posts easily on all platforms. Look for boring patterns that you\u2019ve fallen into, like sharing posts related to just one or two topics or oversharing about your lunch habits. Would you want to follow you? Be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Come up with your key content areas<\/h2>
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      Variety is the spice of life, but when it comes to social media you need a few key content areas to focus on. Your key content areas help to brand your account and keep you from getting too scattered. Your audience is getting bits and pieces of you throughout your social media presence, so you need a few consistent threads. What do you want to be known for? What are you passionate about sharing? What type of content do you like in your free time? Choose three or four main key content areas\u2014like digital advertising, pumpkin spice lattes, brain training games and coloring pages for grownups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Take a varied approach<\/h2>
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        Lest you think your key content areas will keep you limited, don\u2019t forget to vary your post types. Buffer founder Joe Gascoigne advises to choose one \u201cstaple\u201d type of content\u2014either a link, picture, reshare or quote\u2014and then for every four \u201cstaples,\u201d throw in a different post for variety. So if you\u2019re going to share links about digital advertising trends, make every fifth post a picture of your daily pumpkin spice latte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        1. Use pictures whenever you can<\/h2>
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          Speaking of pictures, social media is made for images\u2014so be sure you\u2019re using them! Instagram and Pinterest are naturals for your images, but even a platform as \u201cboring\u201d as LinkedIn can benefit from some visual interest. Take your own photos, or visit a royalty-free image site and tweak your pictures with PicMonkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          1. Get involved with your community<\/h2>
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            Social media is social, and having a one-sided conversation is the worst way to be boring. Thank your commenters or retweeters. Find ways each week to engage with your community. If you find yourself spread too thin, pick one platform so you can really get involved with your audience. Not only will you be less boring, but you\u2019ll reap the real benefits of social media\u2014making new connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Stop being yawn inducing! Take this five-step approach and engage on your platform of choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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