Can social cards help you attract new customers?

It's gratifying when someone links to one of your social profiles. It's free advertising – and what's better than that? You may not have a big marketing budget. A single free link can lead to thousands of pounds in sales. But…

What does the link displayed say about you and your business? If it looks generic, it might not say much. The solution is to display a great image, compelling text, and a call to action when someone links to your website or social profiles. In other words, it's time to create Social Cards. Let's talk about what they are, what they can do for your business, and how to create them.

All About Social Cards

What the hell is a social card? It sounds like a throwback to the Jane Austen era, something you leave on a silver platter in the entryway of a home. In a way, social cards are the business cards of the digital age. Just as a printed business card can say something about the owner's personality, a social card is your opportunity to show your business at its best (and most compelling). Basically, it's a visual „card“ that appears whenever someone links to your website or social media profile. It usually consists of an image, some text and a call to action. The special thing about social cards is that the image is clickable. At the bottom you have space for a URL (this is your call to action), but clicking on the image has the same effect. Another way to look at social cards is to think of them as amplified hyperlinks.

What Social Cards can do for you

What can Social Cards do for your website and social profiles? The answer is: quite a lot. They offer the combined benefits of a backlink and an advertisement, and you can create them for free! Here are some of the specific things social cards can do for you.

You're showcasing your company in the best possible light.

Social Cards showcase your business at its best. If you don't create social cards, you risk being served up a dull image from the dark corners of your website. Imagine the difference between choosing the perfect outfit for a date versus randomly selecting clothes from your wardrobe. No one would choose the latter option if the former were available.

You make sharing links easy

Without a social card, you have to choose an image every time you share a link – or settle for the one Facebook or Google pick for you. On Twitter, you don't get an image at all if you don't provide one! Social cards consistently use images and make it unnecessary for you to upload or choose an image. Every time you decide to share your link, your social card will be displayed.

You give people a reason to be interested in your company.

Perhaps the most important thing that social cards can do for your business is give people a reason to be interested in your company – and click on your link, rather than the next one in their Twitter feed. When you create social cards, you have the opportunity to share the kind of image and text that will make your business stand out from the competition.

Fast steps to create social cards for your most important links

It is very easy to create Social Cards if you know how to do it. Let's go through the steps you need to follow to make them.

#No. 1: Get the right tools to help you

First, you need to check if your web platform has tools that help you create social cards. WordPress has a great plug-in called Yoast SEO, which among other things simplifies the creation of social cards. If you don't work with WordPress, check which tools are available. If not, you should consider switching to a platform that has such tools. Another tool that we like is AnyImage, with which you can easily create images with text that you can use as social cards. You can also look at tools like Canva or Photoshop if you prefer to do so.

#No. 2: Pick a killer image

Which image will you use for your social card? It needs to be a „killer“ – something that perfectly represents your business and what it can do for the people in your target audience. You might already have an image in mind. If not, you can use the tools mentioned above to create one. Stock photos can be a good choice if you’re careful about the image you select. You don't want it to look staged. Websites like Deposit Photos and Shutterstock are good places to start. Whatever image you decide on, you’ll need to make sure it’s the right size for the social media websites you plan on using it with.

#No. 3: Write a compelling text for your picture

You need two texts to go with your image. The first is a title or headline. It should be larger than the accompanying text and make the reader curious to learn more about your business. A few words will do – if they’re the right words. You also need a sentence or two of supporting text. The goal is to persuade the reader to click on your call to action. What will they get when they do? What benefits will they reap? These are the things you should focus on.

#No. 4: Add a call to action

The final step is to add a call to action. If the card you're creating is just to share a link, simply adding your URL might suffice. However, if you're promoting a service or looking to generate leads, you should add a CTA button instead. The button should include action-oriented words to prompt users to click. Use a contrasting colour or a different font to make your CTA button stand out.

Social Cards can make your business stand out...

When a potential customer sees your link for the first time, you don't want the first word that comes to their mind when they see it to be „generic“ or „dull“. Creating a social card helps you make the perfect first impression - and ensures a good start to your new customer relationship.