Engagement Ecosystem and Rapport Building Frameworks
Introduction: Hello! I'm Gary Gabisan, the Managing Director at VJ Media Group. Today, I'm excited to introduce you to our trusted frameworks and best practices, gleaned from a wealth of experience, to help businesses craft a compelling social media presence.
Why Social Media Matters:
Think of social media as a continuous documentary showcasing your brand. It's where your brand narrative unfolds, persuading followers and potential customers. Every post is a chapter in the story, subtly urging the audience toward a resounding "YES!" - a commitment to your brand, whether a purchase or simply advocacy.
The Pitfalls:
While many excel in curating beautiful content, losing sight of the primary narrative can happen, and end up using social media merely as a space for free advertising. Constant selling and no storytelling could erode your social media efforts, pushing followers and potential followers away instead of building toward the sought-after "YES!."
Begin With a Blueprint - Design Your Story:
Our story design form helps brands sketch their core narrative. By determining your feed's intent to communicate, you can channel efforts more effectively, enabling better delegation to team members. After all, while platforms like Facebook or Instagram are essential, they shouldn't consume your business's precious hours. Balance is key. Remember, every moment spent on social media is not spent building your business.
Understanding the story
Once we've unraveled the narrative, we seamlessly transition to using the insights drawn from our story design form.
Frameworks at VJ Media Group
To anchor our creative process, VJ Media Group has designed two pivotal frameworks:
The Engagement Ecosystem Framework
The Rapport Building Framework
Delving into the Engagement Ecosystem Framework
The Engagement Ecosystem Framework isn't just a strategy; it's our compass. When faced with the perennial question - "What should our feed showcase?" - this framework directs us towards content that resonates with the narrative we've etched in our story design form. It offers a blueprint for future posts (up to three months ahead!) and introduces a concept we're passionate about - "Stopping the Scroll."
Decoding 'Stopping the Scroll'
What's the secret to captivating scrolling thumbs? While myriad strategies exist, we've distilled it to one essence: diverse visuals. A golden rule we swear by? Avoid redundancy. Repetition, more than twice consecutively, becomes wallpaper. It's the distinct content that garners attention. Just think about those repetitive ads you instinctively scroll past.
Crafting a Content Calendar with the Engagement Ecosystem Framework
We champion a proactive approach. Begin by outlining your content for the next three months and aiming for a consistent publishing rhythm. Our research indicates that at least eight distinctive posts a month is the sweet spot to captivate your audience and the platform's algorithms. Distribute these posts thoughtfully, ensuring a release every three to five days, translating to a consistent one or two posts weekly. Ensure you're posting at least eight times a month. Diversify your content throughout the weeks and always strive for visual variation.
The four visual categories used in the Engagement Ecosystem Framework are
People - Unearth the personalities driving your brand - from dedicated employees and visionary owners to external collaborators like vendors. Think portraits, candid moments, and even whimsical snaps of your brand mascots, be it an office cat or a winery dog.
Places - Recognize the stages where your brand story comes to life, whether it's the elegance of a store, the dynamic vibe of an office, or the vibrant pulse of a local town. Showcase breathtaking landscapes, intricate interiors, and mood-setting location shots that anchor your brand's presence.
Things - Identify the tangible elements representing your brand's essence- specialized tools, motivational artifacts, or unique brand symbols. Display close-ups of significant artifacts, symbolic representations, or even that beloved coffee mug or cherished orgonite pyramid that radiates brand energy.
Products - Go beyond the mere product shot. Visualize the backstory, the inspiration, and its transformative potential for the consumer. Highlight detailed product shots intertwined with visual narratives, revealing the journey and significance of the product.
Transitioning next to The Rapport Building Framework:
Beyond the visuals, the words accompanying your posts are bridges to your audience. They aren't just captions; they're conversations. The essence of your narrative, curated in the story design form, should be echoed here.
To streamline this process, our Rapport Building Framework offers four engagement angles:
Teaching - Guided insights and walkthroughs
(i.e., a tutorial or how-to instructions on making or doing something)
Asking - Engaging queries to spark dialogue
(i.e., What do you think about this? Which one would you choose?).
Sharing - Disseminating knowledge and core values.
(i.e., Did you know on this day____? Or wishing your followers “May the Force Be With You” on May 4th)
Selling - Direct call to action or purchase requests.
(i.e., Now available on our site. Here’s why you should purchase now)
The inclination might be to let the visuals do the talking. While that's an artistic choice, we advocate maximizing the use of text. Not only does it forge a deeper connection, but it also leverages SEO dynamics. Elements like hashtags, @mentions, and geotags can amplify your reach and feed platform algorithms the data they crave.
Are you leading with Text?
If prose is your forte and you wish to lead with it, let the Rapport Building Framework be your muse. But remember, even the most compelling text benefits from an accompanying visual to "stop the scroll." And in this visual selection, the Engagement Ecosystem Framework is your guide.
In Conclusion, the Engagement Ecosystem and the Rapport Building Frameworks are our bedrock at VJ Media Group. They aren't just tools but our testament to creating compelling, engaging, and impactful content. We openly share them, inviting you to adapt and evolve them. These frameworks are adaptable to any commercial, nonprofit, or intellectual property enterprise. Should you embark on this journey, we only request that you share your stories of success and growth lessons. We thrive on collaborative learning.
Stay engaged with VJ Media Group!
We have some exciting content lined up just for you:
Rising Above the Noise: How to Capture Attention for Your Live Events
Boosting 101: Proven Strategies for Enhancing Your Posts
Keep an eye on our page for these insights and more. Follow us on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X.
Photo by Omar Flores on Unsplash