Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. LinkedIn.

We’ve all seen stories of businesses blowing up using social.

When done right, social media can be a steady source for attracting both talented team members and eager customers.

But getting the social media juggling act working for your business takes a special type of balance.

I call it the secret social media ratio.

When followed, this will help you connect with more people, build your network, and your influence.

And like many things in life, it revolves around how much you give vs. how much you ask. 

The social media balancing act

While we may be excited to simply share new products and drive sales, social media is a balancing act.

If we try to sell too often, readers will tune us out.

If we never put up information about our products or services, we won’t get more business.

So let’s dig a bit deeper.

Your current social media ratio

How do you currently use your social media accounts?

Is it mostly for sales pitches or do you regularly provide useful content?

Let’s take a closer look.

Types of social media posts

Look at the two lists below.

On the left side are posts that add value to your customers and readers.

On the right side I list posts that focus on sales and recruitment.

Take note: How often do you use each type on your social media?

While both kinds of posts are good, more posts should fall on the left side of the table.

Why more “value add” posts on social media?

Studies show that when you provide value — even for free — more customers and talent are attracted to your business.

If you demonstrate that what you have to offer is valuable, people will be engaged.

They will also trust you, because they are familiar with your high quality products, services, employee stories and more.

Marcus Smith shares in a recent Entrepreneur article, “Consumers are always looking for value. When they see value, the chances of them making a purchase increase dramatically”.

So, what’s the secret social media ratio?

In an ideal world, you’d post 10 “value adds” for every 1 “sales or recruitment” post.

• In other words, shoot for a 10:1 ratio.

Even if it may not seem like it at first, this ratio will drive more business andmore talent to you.

Because you are adding value to consumers’ lives — they will want what you have to offer.

And they will want to work for you.

As you post more “value add” things on social media, you’re also building your employer brand:

• You’re showcasing the positives of working at your company.
• You’re sharing success stories of current employees.
• You’re making others want to be a part of your business.
• You’re showing what you stand for and believe in.

How can you create an employer brand?

With this month’s download, I share all the secrets to creating a powerful employee brand.

For more tips, be sure to grab your copy of my ‘‘Define Your Employer Brand Worksheet’ and get started creating your rock solid employer brand.

Any questions?

If you have questions on this topic or any others, feel free to reach me by email or set up a free one-on-one consultation session, or drop me a comment below.

Thank you!