The first in a series of blogs based on our awesome Geospatial Marketing Trading Cards.
Templates, Tips and Content Ideas for Geospatialers
We all know social media is essential for business marketing.
And we know that you do actually have to share content for it to be valuable. (Shame, I know…)
But for some reason, as soon as you click ‘create a post’ your mind goes blank. You’re staring at an empty white box having a blink-off with the text cursor, with absolutely no idea what to say.
Well, worry not, young geospatialer! We’ve put together the ultimate cheatsheet to transform you from Marketing Muggle to Social Media Post Wizard.
We’ll take you through:
- The 5 main types of social media post – and how to make them
- Social Media best practice tips and guidance
- 19 Content Ideas for Your Geospatial Marketing
The Social Media Post Wizardry Cheatsheet
The 5 Main Types of Social Media Posts
1. The Video Post
My best-performing social media content is almost always videos. And despite what you might think, they’re one of the easiest to create.
I’m not kidding – this 48 second video got 100 likes, 12 comments, 4 reposts, and a whopping 4287 impressions!
Not a bad result for one minute’s work.
2. The Text Only Post
These can be hit and miss. Usually, visual social posts perform better, but if done right, text-only social posts can be really really valuable.
Try using some of these content frameworks to structure a text post:
Problem-Agitate-Solution
- Problem: Identify a challenge your audience faces
- Agitate: Emphasize the impact of the problem (really rub it in!)
- Solution: Offer a solution to their problem – i.e. your product/service
Before–After–Bridge
- Before: why their current situation is terrible
- After: how amazing could life be if their problem went away
- Bridge: here’s how to get there (*cough* with your product)
AIDA (Attention–Interest–Desire–Action)
- Attention: Grab it!
- Interest: Build curiosity with information
- Desire: Show the benefits of your product/service
- Action: Explain how to take the next step
3. The Poll
Polls are great for engagement, encouraging interaction and starting conversations.
Ask your audience a question, post a poll, or encourage them to share their thoughts.
Example:
What’s your go-to GIS software?
- ArcGIS
- QGIS
- Something else? Comment below!
4. The Infographic Post
LinkedIn lets you upload PDF documents, which allows you to pack tons of information into your post in a clear and easy-to-digest layout.
You can create one-page infographics, or break down your message into bite-sized chunks with scrollable carousels like this one.
5. The Photo Post
In feeds that are washed with Canva templates and AI imagery, human content stands out.
Your team, your product, a recent project, your breakfast. Whatever it is, people want to see it.
Remember, people want to get to know the person behind the business – not the company itself. The thing that differentiates your business from Joe Blogs down the road is YOU.
Social Media Tips For ALL Platforms
Size matters!
Check the recommended size and orientation for the platform you’re posting on. You’ll start to know this by heart soon enough. But, annoyingly, platforms like to change this quite a lot.
Sprout Social is usually a good source for staying on top of optimum sizes for each platform.
If you’re posting the same file on multiple platforms, you may need to create multiple versions in different sizes and orientations – for example, a portrait Instagram Reel wouldn’t look good as a YouTube video.
Variety is the Spice of Life
Mix up the type of content you’re sharing to keep your feed varied and your audience engaged.
Use a combination of images, videos, infographics, articles, podcasts, PDFs, GIFs, etc etc etc!
Repurpose Repurpose Repurpose
If you’re clever about it – one piece of content can be utilised again and again.
For example:
- Host a live webinar
- Upload the recording to YouTube
- Cut the video into smaller chunks to share as short clips
- Create a blog post based on the webinar content
- Take the blog content and break it down into multiple social media posts
The Call To Action
Don’t let them leave without asking for their number!
Make sure your audience knows exactly what to do by providing a clear call to action. Do you want them to comment their opinion? Subscribe to your newsletter? Sign up for a webinar? Book a call?
Tell them how.
19 Content Ideas for Geospatialers
- Introduce your business – who are you?
- What your business offers
- What problem do you solve?
- Team photo
- Office/worksite image
- Why should people follow you?
- Showcase your work process
- Showcase your tools and technology in action
- Show your team in the field – day in the life style
- Explain how to use specialised equipment or software
- Share interesting facts
- Common misconceptions
- Tutorials for geospatial industry professionals
- Industry tips and knowledge
- “Did you know?” posts
- Quotes and testimonials from clients
- Case studies
- Before and after photo/video
- Break down a complex topic into a flowchart or diagram
Start your journey towards becoming a Social Media Post Wizard!
Over To You…
Whether you’re offering GIS solutions, remote sensing services, or data analysis, social media allows you to visually demonstrate the impact of your work, engage with potential clients, and create brand awareness.
Take what you’ve learned in this blog and kick things off by crafting your first 5 social media posts.
Want more guidance?
The Academy is jam-packed with self-paced and interactive content to help you master geospatial marketing.
Take a look here.