Look, there is no denying that social media is part of business. Companies of all sizes have social media accounts. Regularly posting and interacting with customers and prospects is a critical part of any public relations and marketing plan.
Likes, views, shares and interactions have become the new currency everyone "has to have" but not everyone knows how to monetize. For users the payout comes by way of a dopamine hit, for organizations it is mind-share, public relations and hopefully, actual sales. Such importance is placed on these, that you can buy followers and likes. Yeah, there is even a vending machine for that.
Social media now plays such a significant role in our daily lives that Digital Information World recently reported, that average daily usage is at about 2 hours and 22 minutes, with usage varying by age demographic.
The question then, is how do we, as small businesses and entrepreneurs… engage with your customers and prospects, maintain an active social media presence and do all that while avoiding falling down the dreaded rabbit hole of clicks. Or worse, lose your integrity and authenticity along the way?
Some tips:
Identify your business goals for social media and create a measurable plan around it.
Identify which social media channels are best for your business.
Create business social media accounts, separate from personal, to keep noise to a minimum.
Schedule your business social media time as a business activity – and keep it business. Use a timer or app that helps you focus on an activity for a set and focused period of time. I personally use BeFocused.
Utilize a social media management tool, I happen to use Loomly, but there are many options out there and many offer a free trial so you can try before you buy. Just make sure it has a social inbox or a way to respond to your interactions without having to open the account and dive into the belly of the beast.
Turn off notifications on your devices and block browser notifications. These notifications create an illogical sense of urgency, and they create stress.
Schedule a day, or days, to create content and get strategic with what you share and when you share. The best time to share a post to LinkedIn is different from the best time to post on Twitter or Facebook. I keep it simple – super simple. I literally work from a huge blank calendar, thinking through themes and proactively building content that I then schedule to post auto-magically. If something is trending and I feel I want to go that direction for a post, it is easy to pivot and reschedule an already created and scheduled post.
Think “evergreen” and build into your plan content that can be shared again and repurposed later.
If it is taking up too much time, consider hiring help.
Social media is a great tool that can too easily take you off course and leave you wondering where the time went. Yes it is critical to business, but is it really revenue generating? Can you make purchase with a like, share, view or interaction?
If you liked this blog post, please share it. Looking for a consultant flexible enough to meet you where you are and able to help you get where you want to be? Drop me a note or schedule some time with me. See you out in the social jungle.
About Taniant: Taniant is a consulting company with a passion for pairing the heart of non-profit and public sector with established business methodology for greater organizational success. Taniant can help your organization with reach new levels of success in grant writing, fund development, volunteer mobilization, community partnerships, strategic planning, operational management, process development, project management and budgeting.
About Tammey: Tammey Grable-Newton is an executive level consultant, powerful speaker and inspired author who guides others to embrace their experiences and create purpose from pain. As a proven change agent, she has helped many organizations transition to new levels and make the necessary culture shifts that have resulted in improved workflow, a more positive and successful work environment and expanded reach. After completing her MBA at the University of Washington, Tammey was diagnosed with stage 3 metastatic breast cancer. Tammey transitioned from her elite, corporate positions to a career of passion, purpose and reach. As a remarkable professional and motivational speaker, Tammey shares her stories, lessons and perspectives with humor, candor and empathy. Whether speaking with the board, staff, funding entities, media or the public in general, she leaves audiences inspired and with tools to achieve.
Your passion is her passion and Tammey can’t wait to help you IGNITE your business.