My friends jokingly call me the reluctant social media consultant and it’s because I’ve actively avoided social media for many years. I’ve been that person that missed that trending video on Facebook and had to google the difference between a tweeting bird and twitter.
The truth is, I much preferred a coffee catch up with friends or a lengthy telephone conversation to scrolling endlessly on my phone. And then it happened, I came across a social media platform I loved and I finally got it!
Photography courtesy of Little Whale Media
But my approach to social media has become strategic, tactical even. I wanted to bring my real life experiences online, so that the connections I make are meaningful and purposeful.
For businesses, this is so important because the way we used to do things, won’t open new doors in the same way anymore. IRL coffee meetings or virtual cuppas for instance?
According to research from Animoto, 73% of consumers have been impacted by a brand’s social media presence when making a purchase decision. Your customers are not shopping in the same way as they used to, especially after a global pandemic. Responsive Inbound Marketing found that 70% of consumers would rather learn about a product or service through content or blog posts than from an ad.⠀
So how do you make sure your social media doesn’t get lost in the constant scroll, gets attention from your ideal customer and produces results for your business?
IS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY GETTING RESULTS?
There are some essentials, in fact, three, for you to consider as your baseline:
1) STOP LURKING AND START FINDING YOUR PERFECT PEOPLE
Taking the time to understand your target audience will ensure that you’re attracting the perfect customers to your social media pages. What problem can you help them solve? What motivates them? What are their goals? Are you offering them content that is helpful, up to date and of value?
2) ENGAGE, ENGAGE, ENGAGE
Don’t chase follower numbers, what you really want are people to engage with your content. You want them to like, share, save and comment on your posts and most importantly, you want them to click through to your websites and products. Engagement helps your social media profiles perform better on platforms. However, it is called social media for a reason, don’t just broadcast, spend time getting to know your audience too, liking, reposting and commenting on their posts and stories.
3) BE HUMAN AND CELEBRATE WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE
What does your Bio say about you? Is it clear, succinct and does it have a link to your business website or online shop? Are you using features like Pins (on Pinterest, Twitter & Facebook), Highlights, Guides or Shop (on Instagram) or Featured (on LinkedIn)? This helps you celebrate what sets you apart as a business, and gives audiences an easy way to understand your business.
Recent research from An Aptos survey of 2000 UK consumers found that 74% of Britain’s are put off from shopping in store, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, so getting your online social media presence right is more important than ever.
There is so much marketing advice centred around saving you time and making quick wins. Offering you hacks which answer prayers to all your social media woes, but I’ve learnt that social media is about playing the long game. Playing it smartly to achieve your social media goals.
And that’s the magic word “goals”. It’s what moved me from a reluctant social media consultant to speaking passionately about how social media can be a force for positive change.
Photography by Little Whale Media
SIMPLE CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY
Earlier I mentioned the three things you need to consider about your social media presence, now how do you make these essentials part of your ‘goals’ on social media in 2022? We’re all busy juggling a few plates, so if you haven’t thought of social media goals, here is one simple thing you can do on some of social media’s biggest platforms today to get ahead:
Start following hashtags, so that you can discover new content and use them where relevant in your posts so your content can be found by new audiences. Use Reels, Guides and the Shop function and include these hashtags to extend your reach.
Create a new pinned tweet that makes it easy for people to see who you are and what you do.
Make a calendar of all the days where you are allowed to post about your business in a Facebook group for free. This is great promotion and will bring new audiences to your page!
Create a board that showcases anything new you are offering. Pin it, so this becomes the first board people see when they visit your profile
Review the people in your network. Are there connections that you’ve made over the years who can support your goals on the platform or have you gone separate ways? Why not write a review or recommendation for a few of them. I’m sure they’ll be encouraged to do the same for you. You’re building social proof that testifies to your expertise, skills, experience and your professionalism.
TikTok is one of the most engaging social media apps, with over a billion users spending an average of 32 minutes per session. If you’re delving into this short-form viral platform, make sure that you include a call to action that directs users to your other platforms like Instagram or YouTube. That way you’ll see growth across multiple channels.
Social media can be overwhelming, but if you understand your goals for your business, you can align these to your goals for marketing. Remember I spoke about being purposeful online? This is what I can do for you and your business because I know that it’s hard enough keeping on top of that latest trending hashtag and all those trending audios on Instagram Reels. Doing a thorough audit of your social media would be the most effective way to provide you with solid and sustainable solutions.
SPEAK TO ME
If you’re interested to read more, I’ve created a FREE downloadable five minute audit for all subscribers to my monthly newsletter, so feel to sign up to receive more easy to implement tips. If you’d like to chat, like we did in the good old days, book some time in for a Discovery Call or get focussed with a Power Hour.