Creating the perfect social media post is a lot like baking cookies. You need all the right ingredients, a good recipe (aka knowledge on how to put the ingredients together), and some family/friends to eat them! Oh, and maybe some milk to dunk them in!

Before we get into the nitty gritty of it all, let me share my favourite cookie recipe with you. Classic milk chocolate chip cookies: click here

Ingredients

Butter - the essential fat of the mixture

Mmmmm, butter. Butter makes everything better. And you know what makes any social media post better? An authentic story! Take the highlight of your day, take a picture of it and think creatively how it can apply to your business. Voila, la beurre!

Sugar - sweetness... so essential

Your post should be positive. Keep negative things (rants, complaints, political opinions, etc) off your social media - especially your business social media. Keep it sweet. Keep it short.

Brown Sugar - molasses is sllllloooow

Brown sugar is delicious because of its slow-moving molasses. Social media growth isn't an overnight endeavor. Keep at it and have patience. Continue to post kick ass content and your cookies will be delicious - I mean your following will grow!

Vanilla Extract - flava!

Vanilla is the background flavour of the cookie. What's the background flavour of your social media post? It should somehow reflect the personality of yourself and/or your business.

Eggs - the ingredient that holds it all together!

Without an emotional element, your post will simply not hold together well. As humans, we respond to emotion. Whether it is humour, happiness, intrigue or shock, your post should have an element of emotion.

Flour - the bulk of the cookie

Your post needs something for the audience to "sink their teeth into". In other words, it has to have some information - some words that capture their attention somehow.

Baking Soda - to rise to the occasion

Without baking soda, your cookies will be flat and hard like rocks. Without an image or, better yet, a video, your post will sink like a rock. Have you heard "a picture is worth a thousand words"? Well, it certainly is more able to catch someone's attention while they scroll through Facebook/Instagram/Twitter...

Salt - to provide balance

Just a teaspoon of salt in a whole batch of cookie dough can help bring out all of the flavours! Just a hint of quirkiness can do the same in a business post. Your followers like to see your personality shine through! Maybe an emoji will do the trick... or maybe the post requires a quasi-swear or maybe it's a true taste of your emotional reaction to the story. Remember, keep it positive.

Chocolate Chips - what's a chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate chips, right?!?

Sprinkled throughout the cookie, chocolate chips are the sweet indulgence - the reason the cookie was made in the first place. What will bring your audience coming back for more? ENGAGEMENT! Give them a reason to click "like" or to make a comment. Invite them in, ask for their opinion, and let them speak!

Chopped Nuts (optional) - not to be used at all times

Some like them, some don't, so be careful. Things like memes, gifs, and cheesy jokes can be good tools to grow your audience. But use sparingly and evaluate the effect. If you don't get a good response, don't try it again.

My next blog will be the DIRECTIONS for how to make the cookies (social media posts)! Stay tuned!