5 Lessons You Can Learn From Vin Diesel's Facebook Page

You know that to stand out on social, you’ve gotta do your own thing and be your own brand.

Still - it can be super useful to take a few cues from the best of the best.

After all, if someone’s social media presence has helped them earn the adoration of tens of millions of fans, they’re probably doing something right, right?

That’s why today, we’re talking about Vin Diesel.

(No...seriously.)

That guy from the Fast and Furious movies? He’s got more than 101 million Facebook fans. That’s more than Dwayne Johnson. More than Taylor Swift. More than Beyoncé!

And here's the REALLY interesting part:

Nothing Vin Diesel does on Facebook is totally unique to him being a celebrity.

Because on the one hand, sure - it's a lot easier to scoop up fans when you've got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

But on the other, everything that makes him so popular with his Facebook followers is something you can do, too.

Whether or not you're a fan of this muscleman, there's a lot to be learned from the guy about carving out a niche on social media - so let's take a look at what exactly makes him so popular, and how you can follow his example!

Remember you don't have to be all business, all the time

People ask us all the time - What am I supposed to say on social media?

‍(Here are 14 ideas for when you've got serious writer's block.)One of the reasons it's so easy to get stuck is the unspoken pressure to be business-y enough - the idea that you have to focus solely on promotion, or on cultivating an impenetrable air of total professionalism at all times.

But here's the important thing to remember: your brand is so much more than what you sell or what you do.

It's who you are.‍

This is one thing that Vin Diesel nails on a regular basis.

He's not just sharing trailers and posters for his upcoming movies - he's sharing the things that inspire him personally!

Does it have anything to do with promoting an upcoming movie? Nope!That doesn't mean it doesn't build his personal brand, though - it shows that he's an accessible, regular guy, and that he believes in the power of inspirational words.(He's not the only one who's made words of wisdom an integral part of their brand. Check out these others!)Not everything you share on social has to be directly related to what you sell - in fact, it probably shouldn't!Along the same lines, there's another pretty important thing Vin Diesel does on his Facebook page, and that you can do, too...

Show off your human side

We'll admit it: it's easy to lose your sense of self when you're using social media professionally. You can get so swept up in being a capital-B Brand that you forget to be human!Here's the thing, though. People like interacting with other people - not robots!How do you feel when you try to call a business and get stuck in that endless automated phone tree? Or when you follow a brand on social, and literally the only thing they ever share are ads and promotions?Remember: you can be professional without being a robot, and it's perfectly okay to reveal that your business is operated by real, live people!Let's take a look at how Vin does it.

Vin Diesel built his career on playing big, tough guys. That’s his professional image, and it works for him – but he doesn’t let it define his social presence.

He doesn’t just post about protein shakes and push-ups – he posts videos of himself dancing to Katy Perry and Beyoncé, and pictures of himself chilling out with his family.

Is he acting like the death-defying adrenaline seekers he plays in his movies? Not in the least tiny bit - but he's showing his fans his humanity.

And it works! His followers love seeing this side of him (in case all the likes, shares, and adoring comments weren't a big enough clue).

It's also why so many businesses include About pages where anyone can get to know the people who work there!

(And if you want to know more about writing stellar About pages, this is the post for you.)

When you shine the spotlight on the people behind your business - even if the only person is you - you show people the human side that makes it easier for them to form a long-term emotional connection.

Share the love with your fans

There are probably a lot of things you like out there in the real world that you don't like on Facebook - and in a lot of cases, it's probably because they don't give you a good reason.

‍No matter how helpful or popular you and your business are, you can't just assume that people will follow you because they like you - you've gotta show 'em some love.

Look at Vin - he regularly posts behind-the-scenes photos and videos, exclusive early access to film trailers, and other content that his fans won't find anywhere else on the web. Following his Facebook Page is like belonging to a private club!

We do the same thing with our own social media accounts, and our newsletter. People who follow or subscribe get advance news, early access to webinars, info about upcoming events, and all kinds of extra stuff they might not have known about otherwise!There are plenty of other ways for businesses to use social media to offer unique benefits. From tweeting out discount codes to running contests on Facebook, you're limited only by your own creativity - so ask yourself what your fans are looking for, measure what they respond to, and give them a lil' something-something whenever you can!

Adapt for the times

Facebook changes all the time, and that means staying on top of what's new and different is pretty important.

Case in point? Broadcasting live on Facebook is a big deal - and saavy users like Vin Diesel are taking full advantage of it!

‍Not only that, but he uses this feature to apply the other big lessons we've been focused on. He live streamed himself watching a political debate, because he isn't all business all the time.

He live streamed a birthday celebration with his family, because he shows off his human side.He even live streamed his trip down the red carpet at a movie premiere, because he shares the love with his fans!

Clearly, he's embraced the spontaneity and intimacy that can make a feature like live broadcasting so much different from other types of content, while still giving his followers what he knows they want!Don't be afraid to try new things on social - just be sure you're staying true to your brand when you do.Speaking of trying new things, though...

Don't force yourself to be something you're not

There's more to life - and marketing - than Facebook. And there are a LOT of different networks you can try using to build a social presence.

Not every network is necessarily going to be right for you, though.

Someone else's success on Snapchat doesn't mean you need to join. Even mega-popular networks like Instagram might not be the right fit for you like they are for other marketers - and that's okay!

Vin Diesel is literally the most popular living actor on Facebook. He has more than 100 million followers.

And on Twitter?

Well...not so much.

The guy's had his Twitter account for years, but never actually tweeted for the first time until January 2017.

Now, we wouldn't advise leaving a network as big and as valuable as Twitter out of your marketing strategy, unless you also have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

This just goes to show, though, that you don't have to be everywhere to be successful on social - you just have to find what works best for you, and stick with it.

Try different things. Stay active on different networks, and experiment with tools that make it easier to see results. Do what works, and ditch what doesn't.

The most valuable social network for your business is the one that you actually use. By embracing your successes and accepting the things that just aren't for you, you can make the time you spend on social media a lot more valuable!

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