Motivational Quotes are Hurting your Social Media Business
Whether you are brand new to entrepreneurship or not so much — this post is for you. I need you to know, that motivational quotes are potentially hurting your social media business. See, as a leader (or aspiring one) your job is to motivate others, right?
Well yes, sort of.
You see, if I’m being real with you — your motivational or inspirational images and quotes are empty.
Sure, they help give the illusion of positivity and there is nothing wrong with that. However, when I refer to them as being empty — it means there is no substance to them. Too many people leave out the context, thoughts or even why they enjoyed the quote/image.
Why do People post Motivational Quotes?
Have you ever thought about this? I often speak of being intentional with what you post. Decide what you hope to achieve when you make a post. Do you hope that posting a Ghandi quote will drive customers to your business? Is there a quote he’s done that suggests ‘buy now’?
Probably not.
And really, the quote may not even really speak to your audience. When that happens, there is little engagement and you end up with a wall full of positivity and no love.
Perhaps you have posted a great Tony Robbins quote; ‘If you do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten‘. What if people like what they have? This quote will miss the mark and won’t likely hit the way you’d hoped.
Or, let’s pick it apart a little more — what is he referring to? What will you always get?
Motivational Quotes can Lack Clarity.
The opposite of clarity is confusion.
Confusing your audience is never the goal — so think about this strategically for a moment.
Why do you love the quote? Did it speak to you? Was it one of those moments that when you read it, it inspired you to act? Maybe you were scrolling the newsfeed from your couch, procrastinating and suddenly, you scrolled past this quote and it immediately made you want to jump up and get stuff done.
And, because it spoke to you it must speak to others too, right?
Wrong.
However having said that, let’s assume you added narrative to go with it. Here’s an example using the same Tony Robbins quote …
‘This morning I have been STRUGGLING to get moving (you know those days!) So I thought to heck with it, couch and pyjamas it is. But, started scrolling through Facebook aimlessly, flicked a few channels on the television and for whatever reason I scrolled past this quote by Tony Robbins;
‘If you do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten’
Ever have those moments that something hits you like a brick wall or the light bulb is suddenly shining so bright? I just had THAT moment!!! I felt like he was speaking to me being like hey Brian get off the couch! Maybe you feel me or maybe you’re laughing at me LOL! Either way, I wanted to share it cause wow — I felt this one people.’
Same Motivational Quotes, Very Different Message
By adding some narrative and personal content to the motivational quotes you post, people can relate to them. Or better yet, they can relate to you. Maybe they’re not fans of Tony Robbins because he yells so much (among other things) but because you’ve put such a great perspective on it they’re inclined to show it some love.
Be intentional with your content but know that simply posting a motivational or inspirational quote is not a solid content strategy. (click here for my post on creating a solid strategy)
Without posting with purpose, they could be hurting you more than helping.
Authenticity is so important inner industry.
Your audience wants to know your thoughts and opinions. It helps them decide whether they want in on what you’re doing or selling. Why? Because they love your message — not your posting abilities. They don’t think to themselves ‘wow, I just love the way you posted that picture‘.
Social Media should be Social
And, humans are nosey (sorry, curious!). We want to know what’s happening in your life — so share your ‘life’ through the content you add to your quotes. They will connect or be intrigued by the caption you add to the quote versus just the quote itself.
You may get some comments saying ‘ohhhh love this one!‘. And, although they may really mean it they probably move on from it too, right? It’s not as though they reach back out to you a few days later saying ‘hey I love that Tony Robbins quote you posted the other day’.
Although, let’s assume you posted some content to go with it ….
‘Hey remember the other day when you felt stuck to your couch?! I did too! When I read your message and Tony’s quote I was like I need to get moving too! Thanks for that’.
Quotes are a Dime a Dozen …
How did this love affair between entrepreneurs and the inspirational messages begin in the first place? We can probably attribute it to these 3 reasons: They …
- are easy to find and quick to post
- make people feel good — that’s the hope anyways
- get lots of engagement, sometimes
And if we’re being real honest here — they’re easy. And, content marketing strategies can scare people — they can feel overwhelming and by posting a quote it makes us feel as though ‘at least I posted something‘, but then wonder why nothing happens as a result.
> Clarity Encourages Action
> Narrative Facilitates Authenticity
Quick Tip: Consider using your own quotes — ones you ‘made up’, put a spin on, etc. Instead of using images you found elsewhere online (and often with someone else’s branding on it) — take a few moments to make your own! I almost always recommend using Canva or Word Swag for creating your own.
This extra and worthwhile step will help add to your originality and overall authenticity.
How will others see your influence online?
There he/she is, the motivational quotes poster extraordinaire! Doesn’t sound so bad, right? Well .. if that is all your audience starts to know you for, they will fail to recognize other value you have and share. Let me elaborate a bit;
If you own a motivational quotes business, maybe an Etsy shop where you sell swag, etc. yes, littering your feed with all sorts of motivational quotes makes sense — it’s promoting your brand, company, and products.
However, if motivational quotes are not your bread and butter, having people know you as the spot to grab some positivity and nothing more, can hurt you. Instead of learning more about you, they are getting better aquatinted with the likes of Ghandi or Tony Robbins.
To summarize, add some substance to the motivational things you post. Give that type of content some narrative and share some insight into your life and message. You got this!
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